House GOP Members Unveil Draft ‘Doc Fix’ Plan
The plan would repeal the contentious SGR formula for reimbursing doctors but does not include a way to pay for that. Also in the House, a Democrat and a Republican introduce a bill to create national exercise guidelines.
Modern Healthcare: Panel Airs Draft Of New Doc Payment System
Republican House Energy and Commerce Committee leaders have revealed a draft of a bill that would repeal Medicare's contentious physician payment formula and replace it with a payment system that places greater emphasis on quality and efficiency. Away from Washington this week, panel members announced the latest step in overturning Medicare's sustainable growth-rate formula that began with their framework in February and was revised in April (Zigmond, 5/28).
CQ HealthBeat: House Republicans Seek Doctors' Feedback On Medicare Payment Draft
[T]he draft proposal would include an “improved” fee-for-service model, Republicans said. In that model, doctors and medical specialty organizations would work with the Department of Health and Human Services to develop quality measures for specific provider groups. Physicians’ performance would be assessed based on those quality measures, and they would get incentive payments for good performance. Future payment updates would be based on physicians meeting those quality measures. The proposal does not outline how to pay for the cost of replacing the SGR (Ethridge, 5/29).
The Hill: House Bill Would Force HHS To Prescribe Exercise Guidelines 'For All Americans'
Two House members have proposed a bipartisan bill that would require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to prescribe exercise guidelines for Americans. Reps. Ron Kind (D-Wis.) and Aaron Schock (R-Ill.) proposed their Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Act, H.R. 2179, in an effort to help promote healthy exercise habits, especially among schoolchildren (Kasperowicz, 5/28).