House may tie Obamacare delay to passing SGR fix

The House is expected to vote on the SGR Repeal and Medicare Provider and Payment Modernization Act of 2014 later this week that would permanently repeal Medicare's sustainable growth rate formula for physician payment but might also include a provision to either repeal or delay the American Accountability Act’s individual insurance mandate.

Delaying or eliminating the mandate would help pay some of the $138 billion needed over the next decade to eliminate the SGR and give physicians modest pay increases. Congress faces a March 31 deadline to come up with a permanent replacement for the formula or pass a temporary measure that would stall a 27% cut in Medicare pay for physicians.