GOP DOCTORS' CAUCUS

SGR/Medicare Physician Payment Fix

Medicare is the largest health program run by the government, and it is currently in serious trouble.  The sustainable growth rate (SGR) is a method that dictates how much the government will compensate physicians for specific services.  Over the past decade, physicians who care for Medicare patients have been getting reimbursed less each year – and Congress continues to only temporarily fix this SGR problem. The next cuts to physician reimbursement are scheduled for December 31, 2011, and they will result in a 29% cut if Congress does not act. On top of this, Obamacare slashes funding to the Medicare program by more than $500 billion, which will ultimately leave patients without doctors to care for them.  Republicans are committed to enacting a permanent solution to the flawed SGR payment formula for the benefits of physicians and the patients they serve.