The Physicians Foundation, a national healthcare organization representing physician interests, expressed its frustration this week that Congress missed the deadline to address a proposed 21 percent Medicare cut, which took effect June 1.  Before adjourning for a week-long recess last Friday, the US House passed HR 4213, which among other things would freeze the payment cuts until December 2011. However, the Senate adjourned without acting on the bill, leaving doctors and their patients in a lurch.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced it would hold claims for ten days, effective June 1, to allow time for the Senate to act on the bill.  Congress has voted nine times in eight years to delay the cuts rather than permanently fix the problem. Read more about the Physicians Foundation’s call for a permanent SGR fix. 

Next week, the Texas Medical Association is expected to deliver to Congress its petition to Stop the Medicare Meltdown.  The NCMS and other state medical organizations joined TMA in seeking signatures from physicians and patients asking Congress to repeal the SGR and replace it with a solution that more fairly determines Medicare physician payments.

You still have time to sign the petition and to urge your patients to do so as well.