Physician fee legislation
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas) introduced a bill July 24 to revamp the physician fee schedule beginning Jan. 1. HR 5866 would replace the sustainable-growth-rate formula CMS uses to calculate physician payments with the Medicare economic index minus 1%. The current formula calls for a 4.6% decrease in payments for 2007, while Burgess' proposal would increase compensation by 1.8%. The bill also includes provisions to develop quality measures that could be used in pay-for-performance initiatives, and calls for a one-year delay in imaging cuts mandated by the Deficit Reduction Act...
You may also be interested in...
CDER, CBER Not Seeing Hiring Slowdown Despite US FDA Warnings
FDA officials have said hiring could be slowed if an inflationary pay increase is not included in the agency budget, but CDER and CBER continue to add staff at a steady pace.
Medicare Reimbursement For Part B Drugs Is 48% Above 340B Prices To Hospitals, MedPAC Finds
New study updates past commission analyses and highlights the significant margin between Medicare payments for drugs and the prices paid by 340B-eligible providers.
Drug Shortages, Inspections In Focus At US FDA Appropriations Hearing
Commissioner Robert Califf discussed the agency’s request for $12.3m to address shortages and legislation to require that manufacturers provide more detailed information about increased demand and supply chain vulnerabilities.