A small gift from Congress: Just days before the holidays,
both chambers of Congress have passed an amended version of the Senate's $30 billion package that would, in part, delay the Jan. 1 Medicare physician payment cut for two months. The amended language calls on Senate leadership to agree to a conference early next year to negotiate a full-year extension of current Medicare reimbursement rates and the payroll tax holiday. This measure cleared both chambers by unanimous consent and President Obama is expected to sign the legislation into law shortly.
As conference negotiations unfold, we will continue to monitor discussions regarding the SGR and provide timely updates as well as targeted grassroots efforts. In the meantime, your ACC encourages members to use the ACC's CardioAdvocacy Network to send messages to your members of Congress about the impacts of short-term SGR patches on your patients and practices.