Congress passes SGR Patch and delays ICD-10 implementation
On March 31, the U.S. Senate approved a one-year patch to the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula, just hours before physicians would have experienced a 24% cut to Medicare payments. The bill as passed also includes a one-year delay of the implementation of the ICD-10 coding system until October 1, 2015. The bill was passed by the U.S. House late last week, and now goes to President Obama for approval.
Most physician advocacy groups, including the AMA, have voiced opposition to another temporary patch to the SGR, instead seeking a permanent repeal of the flawed formula.
Check the following links for more on the Congressional actions:
AMA Newswire – Casting aside reform bill, Congress passes another payment patch
AMA Newswire – New law buys more time for physicians to prepare for ICD-10
SPECIAL NOTE TO SLMMS MEMBERS: The April/May issue of St. Louis Metropolitan Medicine, currently en route to our members, contains a story “Get Ready for ICD-10” that states the deadline for ICD-10 implementation is October 1 of this year and will not be changed. The issue was already printed and in post-production prepping for mailing and distribution when the above news broke, making it too late to be modified.
