21 percent Medicare cut averted

21 December 2009

On Monday, Dec. 21, President Obama signed legislation that Congress passed over the weekend which provides for a temporary extension of the 2009 Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) conversion factor. This extension averts a 21.2 percent cut to physician payments that was scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2010. This measure is apart from Congress' consideration of national health care reform. Senate leadership has pledged to consider a permanent repeal of the SGR formula after the holidays; the House has already passed legislation to repeal the SGR.