The American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons supports Congress's efforts to repeal the sustainable growth rate.
The SGR Repeal and Medicare Provider Payment Modernization Act of 2015 was introduced in Congress earlier this month and would permanently repeal the SGR. AAOS hopes Congress would then pass a permanent solution before the current patch expires.
"We appreciate the tremendous effort leadership committees have put into SGR reform and urge Congress to pass the legislation before the expiration of the current patch," said AAOS president Frederick M. Azar, MD. "Short-term patches have subjected patients and doctors to uncertainty each year and permanently repealing the payment formula is the only fiscally responsible way toward higher performing Medicare program."
For more than a decade, Congress has avoided steep cuts to reimbursement rates for Medicare patients by passing a continuous slew of temporary "fixes." As a result, physicians have difficulty planning for the future without knowing where Medicare reimbursement rates will fall.
"Continuing the reckless system of patch after patch is harmful to the economy and to Medicare patients seeking access to specialties they desperately need," said Thomas C. Barber, MD, chair of the AAOS Council on Advocacy. ""The AAOS has worked closely with leadership and committees on drafting legislation that ensures the highest quality of care for Medicare patients, reduces reporting and other administrative burdens, provides needed flexibility for physicians and allows for medical specialty input in development of quality measures."