Congress Passes SGR Repeal Legislation, Ushers in New Era in MD Value-Based Payment

The U.S. Senate’s passage of the so-called “SGR repeal legislation” will end the never-fully-implemented Sustainable Growth Rate formula for Medicare physician payment, and among other things, will introduce a new Merit-based Incentive Payment Program for MD reimbursement

On Tuesday evening, April 14, the U.S. Senate passed legislation ending the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula whose problematic history has plagued Medicare physician payment issues for over a decade, as it approved the Medicare and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA), which President Barack Obama is expected to sign before midnight eastern time, according to press reports. The House of Representatives had approved the bill by a vote of 392 to 37 on March 26, just before a two-week recess.