Senate Votes Down Legislation to End SGR Formula

(AMERICAN COLLEGE OF RADIOLOGY - WASHINGTON, DC)

The Senate voted Oct. 21 on a motion to invoke the cloture on the Motion to Proceed to S. 1776, a bill by Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for the update under the Medicare physician fee schedule for years beginning with 2010 and to sunset the application of the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula.


The vote failed, 47 to 53, thus ending further debate of this specific legislation. The $245 billion bill would have repealed the SGR, the payment formula that results in annual cuts for physicians. As a result of the failed vote, ACR will deactivate the 800 number associated with its recent email of October 19 asking ACR members to call their senators to support S. 1776.


ACR believes that regardless of today’s vote, Congress will act before year’s end to prevent the 2010 scheduled 21% Medicare payment cut to all physicians.

(Source: ACR.org)