On March 26, the U.S. House -- with an overwhelming vote of 392 to 37 -- passed the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (H.R. 2), legislation that would eliminate the perennial threat and uncertainty that the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) Medicare physician payment formula has created for oncology practices across the country. The flawed SGR formula has called for reductions in physician payments since 2002. Congress has overridden those cuts 17 times with a “payment patch” with the most recent patch set to expire on March 31, 2015.

• While the House acted decisively to prevent the scheduled 21% cut to physician payments and to reform the Medicare physician payment system, ridding the system of the SGR once and for all, the Senate failed to reach agreement before adjourning for a 2 week congressional recess.
• CMS will hold the payment claims until the Senate returns, effectively delaying the 21% cut, but we need your help to ensure that the Senate will pass H.R. 2 upon its return. President Obama supports H.R. 2 and it is expected that should the Senate send him the bill, he will sign it into law.

Please contact your Senators today and urge them to support bringing the legislation to the Senate floor for a vote and to vote yes on the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (H.R. 2), legislation that would permanently repeal the SGR and reform the Medicare physician payment system.