Executive Briefings | May 12, 2015
After SGR Fix, FFS Takes Another Hit
Finally, Congress addressed the Medicare physician rate issue. Medicare rates were supposed to be governed by the Medicare sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula, which Congress implemented in 1997 to ensure that the Medicare program was cost neutral. The SGR was intended to increase or decrease physician reimbursement rates annually to account for changes in utilization. However, every year since 2003 Congress enacted legislation that blocked reductions to Medicare physician reimbursement rates (see House Vote Promises More – Delays). Between 2003 and March 2014, the . . .