The North Carolina Medical Society is among dozens of state and national physician organizations who signed a letter sent to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) on December 15 calling for a permanent repeal of the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula. It’s used to calculate Medicare physician payments. The groups called for urgent action by Congress to avoid scheduled cuts of more than 21 percent in Medicare physician payments on January 1, 2010. The letter stated that the cut would compromise access to care for Medicare patients and for families whose TRICARE coverage is based on Medicare rates. Read the letter here.
The NCMS also joined numerous state and national physician organizations in signing a letter sent to Acting CMS Administrator Charlene Frizzera on December 8 regarding policy and technical changes to the Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program. Read the letter at: http://www.ama-assn.org/ama1/pub/upload/mm/399/administration-part-c-part-d-sign-on.pdf.
