Congressional Action Stops Medicare Physician Payment Cut

Congress heard the arguments made by the Medical Society, the AMA and all of organized medicine and took last-minute action late last year to maintain the 2006 Medicare payment rate for 2007 and set aside funds to avert cuts in 2008. President Bush signed the legislation into law in late December.

With the current crisis averted, the Medical Society will continue to work with the AMA to convince Congress and the Administration to put into place a permanent solution to the flawed Medicare physician payment formula.

The legislation also initiates a physician quality reporting program. The AMA-convened Physician Consortium for Performance Improvement has developed 151 quality measures and will work with Congress and the Administration to ensure that these measures continue to form the foundation of a Medicare quality reporting program.