Book Description

In 1997, the law established a new formula for paying Medicare doctors. The goal of the "Sustainable Growth Rate" (or SGR) was to reduce health care costs by setting limits on how much doctors who treat Medicare patients could be paid. Fees have not been reduced in recent years, as the SGR formula calls for, because Congress has repeatedly intervened to prevent payment reductions. There are several proposals to reform the Medicare doctor payment system. Some proposals include freezing payments for primary care physicians while temporarily decreasing rates for specialists.