Specialty groups: We shouldn't have to pay to fix Medicare's physician payment formula

The Hill: Specialty Groups Say They Shouldn't Have To Pay For Growth-Rate Fix
Doctors shouldn't have to foot the bill if Congress comes up with a new way to set their Medicare payments, a group of medical specialties said Monday. There are few policies -; if any -; that are more important to doctors' organizations than a permanent repeal of the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula. But Congress shouldn't offset an SGR repeal with further cuts to Medicare payments, the Alliance of Specialty Medicine said Monday. "Why should doctors and patients who have suffered under this policy for years be required to pay so heavily for its repeal, particularly in light of the fact that physicians did not cause the problems with the flawed SGR formula in the first place?" the group asked (Baker, 9/26).