A bipartisan proposal has passed through the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee to repeal Medicare's sustainable growth rate.
Under the bill, the SGR would be no more starting next year, and physicians would receive a 0.5 percent increase in Medicare reimbursements every year until 2018. In 2019, physicians would be paid based on quality reporting and outcomes instead of calculated cuts or increases. Physicians could gain or lose 1 percent of their Medicare payments, depending on their quality scores, starting in 2019. The bill can be read in its entirety here.
The next steps will be a review of the legislation in front of the full committee. The House must also figure out how to fund the repeal, which is estimated to cost $138 billion over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
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