Letters to Senate Committee on Finance and House Committee on Ways and Means from Experts from Left, Right and Center On Medicare Payment Reforms in SGR Package

Today, experts from across the political spectrum called on Congress to replace the Medicare’s sustainable growth rate (SGR) physician payment formula with approaches that promote higher-value care instead of greater volume of services.

In letters sent to the leadership of the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee, thought leaders from conservative, progressive, and centrist think tanks united with nonpartisan stakeholder groups to urge SGR reform that establishes a clear path to new payment models.

In previously released work and policy recommendations, several of the signatories have proposed permanent SGR repeal with delivery and payment reforms that curb costs and improve quality, but today’s letter is the first joint expression of that position from the signatories. Absent congressional action this year, the SGR payment formula is scheduled to impose a 24% pay cut on physicians and a range of other Medicare providers on January 1.