The Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee released the bill “SGR Repeal and Medicare Beneficiary Access Improvement Act of 2013" to be considered Thursday morning. The bill repeals the Sustainable Growth Rate system and includes:
Floor on Geographic Adjustment for Physician Fee Schedule
Medicare Payment for Therapy Service
Medicare Ambulance Services
Medicare Dependent Hospitals
Low-Volume Hospitals
NRHA is pleased that the Senate Finance Committee included the above in the Mark, and is especially pleased that many of these important payments were made permanent. However, reductions in payments are included and NRHA is working to do an analysis of the impact of these proposals..
The House Ways and Means Committee also released their draft bill to repeal and release the SGR. However, no rural extenders were included. The committee has not announced a mark-up session, but it will likely happen before the House adjourns this week.
Stay tuned to this blog for the latest news. Join NRHA for our Policy Institute on Feb. 4-6 in Washington, DC to continue fighting for important rural health care programs.