Will CMS Get Real?

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is likely to reduce Medicare reimbursements to physicians by 4.6% in 2007 due to increased program spending on physician services. CMS adjusts Medicare reimbursement rates for physicians annually based on physician costs, with an additional adjustment based on a comparison of program spending on physician services with the sustainable growth rate (SGR). CMS reduces Medicare reimbursements to physicians when program spending on physician services exceeds the SGR. Contact your members of Congress, urging them to replace the SGR with a reimbursement system that provides stable, annual updates reflecting physician’s increased practice expenses. Has anyone out there seen a negative rate of inflation of 4.6%?

Learn more about the flawed SGR.

h/t: Heart Rhythm Society

--Wes