Both plans reflect core principles that medicine, including TMA, advocated to Congress for transitioning from the SGR to a new, high-performing Medicare sys- tem. Read the principles at
www.ama-
assn.org/resources/doc/washington/ medicare-sustainable-growth-rate-tran sition-principles.pdf. Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.), chair of
the Energy and Commerce Committee, said he hopes to have a House bill on the floor this summer. His committee held its first hearing on the SGR in February, which TMA officials say is a good sign of long-overdue progress on the issue. The plan also has support from a
key lawmaker in Texas, U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady (R-The Woodlands), Health Sub- committee chair of the House Ways and Means Committee. The SGR proposals came not long af- ter the Congressional Budget Office re- vised its estimate for the 10-year cost to repeal the SGR formula down from $243 billion in 2012 to $138 billion in 2013. Representative Upton said the lower cost could make it easier to pass legislation on the issue this year. Texas physicians also joined in press- ing lawmakers for repeal of the Indepen- dent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) set up under the Patient Protection and Af- fordable Care Act (PPACA), another key goal on TMA’s agenda. Doctors say the board’s ability to arbi- trarily cut Medicare costs — which, be- cause of restrictions on limiting benefits, are likely to hit physician payments — could be a double blow to access to care for Medicare patients on top of existing payment cuts.
Physicians also worry that the 15-member panel of health care experts takes decision making out of the hands of doctors and patients.
Medicine supports legislation intro- duced in the Senate and House to repeal the IPAB: S 351 by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and HR 351 by Rep. Phil Roe (R-Tenn.). “The PPACA prohibits the [IPAB] from
recommending changes to Medicare eli- gibility or coverage, or other factors that drive utilization of health care services. This means the board will have only one option — cut payments,” TMA President
April 2013 TEXAS MEDICINE 33
Michael E. Speer, MD, said in a letter thanking Senator Cornyn for introducing the legislation. “And through 2019, hos- pitals, Medicare Advantage plans, Medi- care prescription drug plans, and health care professionals other than physicians are exempt. That leaves the board only one option — cut Medicare payments to physicians. Cuts the board recommends
will take effect automatically unless Con- gress acts to suspend them.” Similar measures passed the House in 2012, but did not pass the Senate. n
Amy Lynn Sorrel is an associate editor of Texas Medicine. You can reach her by telephone at (800) 880-1300, ext. 1392, or (512) 370-1392; by fax at (512) 370-1629; or by email at
amy.sorrel@
texmed.org.
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