Update on the SGR from today's Advocate:

April 16, 2010

Another reprieve ... President Obama last night signed H.R. 4851, the Continuing Extension Act of 2010, into law, following on the heels of votes in both the House and Senate. The law reinstates Medicare physician payments to where they were on March 31 and again postpones the 21.3 percent Medicare Physician Payment cuts related to the flawed sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula until the end of May.

What does this mean for April Medicare claims? The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) temporary hold on the processing of physician claims filed as of April 1 officially expired yesterday. However, with Congressional action so imminent, it is unlikely many claims were actually processed at the lower payment rates. However, CMS has said that any claims paid that reflected the 21.3 percent cut will be reprocessed automatically without any action required from physicians.

Contact Congress NOW! The continuous Band-Aid approach to the SGR is clearly not working. Your ACC is urging all members to contact their members of Congress and urge them to find a permanent solution to the SGR using the toll-free grassroots hotline (800-210-7193) or via email (click here for the House and click here for the Senate). In addition, ACC members are encouraged to sign on to a petition to Congress, urging them to stop the SGR cuts. You can sign your name by clicking here.

Read the full Advocate below.

ACC Advocate 4.16.10.html (4.94 kb)

< Back to Listings