Bill would further delay Medicare physician payment cut

On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate voted 62 to 36 to further delay a planned 21% cut in Medicare physician payments.

The new legislation would delay the cut until Sept. 30. On March 2, the Senate passed a separate bill that originally delayed the payment cut until March 31. The bill now moves to the House for further discussion.

H.R. 4213, the Tax Extenders Act of 2009, is designed to provide tax relief and stimulate job growth, according to a bill summary.

The physician payment cut stems from the sustainable growth rate (SGR), a key factor in annual Medicare physician payment updates. Congress has repeatedly intervened to stall Medicare physician payment cuts in recent years.

In a statement released Wednesday, J. James Rohack, MD, president of the American Medical Association said, “Today, the U.S. Senate voted to again delay this year’s steep 21% Medicare physician payment cut to October 1, pushing the problem off into the near future. If the House adopts this Senate bill, America’s seniors and their physicians will be left in limbo, and access to health care for Medicare patients will continue to be in grave danger. Physicians cannot keep their practice doors open to all Medicare patients without clear direction from Congress on Medicare payment rates. Already, Medicare payment rates are far below the costs of providing patient care, and physicians are left wondering how they can continue to run a medical practice if Congress does not inject security and stability into the Medicare program.

“Short-term actions are the wrong answer to a long-term problem. These band-aid fixes have only served to increase the size of the cuts and the cost of reform. The longer Congress delays, the higher the cost to the American taxpayer. It’s time to fix the formula and ensure that seniors can count on Medicare now and for years to come.”

In November, the House passed a bill that would permanently repeal and replace the SGR.

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