[nfbmi-talk] ] Senate Passes Historic Medicare "Doc Fix" Bill

[Terry D. Eagle]

Medicare "Doc Fix" Bill Passes in the Senate

This week, the Senate passed the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization
Act of 2015 to repeal the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula that
determines Medicare physician payments and extend the Children's Health
Insurance Program (CHIP) for two years. Congress has acted 17 times to
temporarily prevent drastic payment cuts resulting from use of the SGR
formula. The "doc fix" bill replaces the SGR with alternative, value-driven
payment strategies. This is good news for people with Medicare, who need to
know their doctors will be there when they need them. 

The bill also permanently funds the Qualified Individual (QI) program that
helps low-income Medicare beneficiaries afford Part B premiums. While the
Senate considered an amendment to the bill to permanently repeal the
Medicare therapy caps, this measure was not successful. Instead, the therapy
caps exceptions process will be extended for two years. When this exceptions
process expires, Congress must again act to ensure that people with Medicare
are able to retain access to needed therapy services.

Also extended for two years is federal funding for community-based
organizations, including State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs),
Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) and others, to find and enroll vulnerable
Medicare beneficiaries in low-income assistance programs. Like the therapy
cap exceptions process, it will be paramount for Congress to ensure this
funding continues beyond the two-year extension included in the final bill. 

The legislation will now go to the President, and he is expected to sign it
into law. 
Go here to read the final bill
https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/2

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