Feb. 7—Bipartisan legislation proposed in the house would permanently repeal the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula, the physician payment formula for Medicare. The Medicare Physician Payment Innovation Act—introduced by U.S. Reps. Allyson Schwartz (D-PA) and Joe Heck, D.O. (R-NV)—also outlines a plan to reform Medicare payment and delivery systems while containing costs. 

As part of the plan, the act would ensure access to preventive care, care coordination, and primary care services through increased payment updates for those services as well as aggressively test and evaluate new payment and delivery models.

Publication Date: Thursday, February 07, 2013