ACEP Supports Repeal of the SGR: "Congress Must Replace Failure with Success"

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American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP)

Mar 26, 2015, 12:02 ET

WASHINGTON, March 26, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) urges passage of the legislation just introduced to replace the Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula with a payment system that rewards quality, efficiency and innovation (H.R.2/S.810).

ACEP's president, Michael Gerardi, MD, FACEP issued a statement about the proposed legislation:

"Looking ahead, Medicare will enroll 78 million baby boomers over the next few years, making a stable, secure Medicare system absolutely essential. The ongoing uncertainty and instability caused by years of proposed cuts to the Medicare program threatens seniors' access to medical care now and in the future.

"Another critical element of the current legislation is the extension of the Children's Health Insurance Program, which provides secure, affordable health care insurance for children in low-income families. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation recently reported that one-quarter of children in America live in poverty[i]. Therefore, the two-year extension of the Children's Health Insurance Program is crucial for ensuring that our youngest and most vulnerable patients have access to health care.

"For at least 12 years, Congress has recognized the necessity of reforming the Medicare physician payment system but has lacked the political will to enact legislation doing just that. After many failed attempts to repeal and replace the SGR, Congress is finally at a moment when real, meaningful change is possible. It's time to stop thinking about the problem and seize the opportunity to solve it!

"The fiscally irresponsible cycle of short-term patches contributes to Medicare's instability, which is why a permanent solution is essential. Under the SGR, we face the very real prospect of a 21.1 percent cut to Medicare reimbursements on April 1^st. That is simply not viable. Emergency physicians are very concerned that the continued use of the SGR will drive more physicians out of Medicare, leaving the emergency department as the only option for seniors to get medical care. We already treat 136 million patients a year, of which 18 percent are seniors. A sudden flood of patients into ERs whose physicians have stopped accepting Medicare insurance could literally crash the system."

ACEP, along with 749 other medical groups, sent a letter to Speaker of the House John Boehner on March 16^th urging him to repeal the SGR and enact the current legislation into law.

ACEP is the national medical specialty society representing emergency medicine. ACEP is committed to advancing emergency care through continuing education, research and public education. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, ACEP has 53 chapters representing each state, as well as Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. A Government Services Chapter represents emergency physicians employed by military branches and other government agencies.

[i] http://www.rwjf.org/content/dam/farm/reports/reports/2015/rwjf418649

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SOURCE American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP)