Most physician leaders believe House lawmakers made a mistake in linking the repeal of Medicare's sustainable growth rate to a five-year delay of the individual mandate, according to a poll conducted by the American College of Physician Executives.
The ACPE surveyed 551 physician leaders and found nearly 81 percent disapprove of policymakers' decision to add a five-year delay for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's individual mandate to a bill that would repeal and replace the SGR. The House passed the SGR repeal and replace bill earlier this month.
However, it seems the bill could be brought down by an amendment added by Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.). The amendment would delay the individual mandate's enforcement through 2019 and would increase the number of uninsured people in 2018 by about 13 million, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
The White House has indicated President Barack Obama will veto the legislation if it reaches his desk. The bill is currently awaiting Senate consideration.
Along with the ACPE, American Medical Association has also opposed the decision. Earlier this month, the organization issued a statement on the bill urging Congress not to let partisanship conflict over the PPACA stand in the way of fixing Medicare's physician payment formula. Unless lawmakers enact a permanent solution or another temporary patch, physicians face a 24 percent Medicare pay cut on April 1 under the SGR.
Every year since 2003, Congress has passed a short-term legislative patch to stave off double-digit Medicare pay cuts for physicians under the SGR. The SGR Repeal and Medicare Provider Payment Modernization Act of 2014 is a bipartisan measure that would permanently solve the SGR issue by repealing the formula and replacing it with a payment system that incentivizes physicians to provide high-quality, low-cost care.
More Articles on the SGR:
MedPAC Report Recommends Site-Neutral Medicare Payments, SGR Repeal
House Passes Legislation Tying SGR Fix to Individual Mandate Delay
AMA Opposes Bill Tying SGR Fix to Individual Mandate Delay