Oct 10 2011
The Endocrine Society, representing more than 14,000 physicians and scientists in the field of endocrinology, strongly opposes the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) recommendation to reduce payments for specialists by 17.7 percent to partially fund the elimination of the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula. The Society believes that this recommendation will unfairly punish endocrinologists, and other cognitive specialists, who largely bill evaluation and management services and often serve as the primary care provider to patients with chronic and complex diseases.
In a recent letter to MedPAC's chairmen, Society President Jan Hall wrote that the "recommendations do not improve patient care, access to care or address care coordination for those with chronic conditions" and called for the "inclusion of cognitive specialists, such as endocrinologists, in its definition of primary care providers to properly account for the work these physicians do and to prevent these physicians from being unfairly penalized through unilateral cuts."
Congress is expected to review MedPAC's recommendations on alternatives to the SGR by the end of the year. If approved, current payment rates would be reduced 5.9% annually for three years and frozen for an additional seven years for specialists while primary care would face a ten year payment freeze with no decrease in reimbursement.
Source: The Endocrine Society
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