WASHINGTON (April 1, 2014)—Last night, the Senate passed legislation that provides a short-term fix, or patch, for the sustainable growth rate (SGR) methodology used to pay physicians who treat Medicare patients. The House passed similar legislation last Thursday, March 27. The patch will be in effect until April 1, 2015. The legislation was a scaled-back approach that did not include the HME bidding amendment.
"Although we're disappointed that Congress didn't include fixes for Medicare's poorly managed bidding program, we'll continue to get cosponsors for H.R. 1717 and look for another piece of legislation that can carry its provisions," said Tom Ryan, AAHomecare president.
Ryan also pointed out that this year's doc fix was not paid for out of the pockets of HME businesses.
"In the past, Congress has unfairly targeted the HME industry to lessen the impact of cost-cutting on doctors," said Ryan. "AAHomecare was able to hold the line and avoid any cuts to HME."
A one-year delay in ICD-10 implementation was also included in the legislation. While AAHomecare did not request the delay, it should help many Association members by giving them additional time to prepare for the transition. For details on how much this year's SGR patch will cost, read the Congressional Budget Office's estimate.
