The proposal, now before Congress, is “one of the worst pieces of legislation I’ve ever seen,” said Stuart Altman, a former health policy advisor to President Clinton. Henry J. Aaron, a health policy analyst at the Brookings Institution, called it “a charade.”
The three-year fix leaves the despised sustainable growth rate payment formula in place. A 2007 MedPAC report said the SGR formula not only failed to keep pace with healthcare spending, causing huge cuts in reimbursement to be scheduled each year, but also failed in its goal to constrain physician spending.
The House is expected to vote on the three-year fix as early as today, with the goal of passing it before Congress’ last patch expires on June 1. On Friday, Congress starts a one-week recess.
Read Politico’s report on the physician fee fix.
