Government & Medicine

AAFP Applauds House Passage of Bill to Fix Broken Payment Formula

(11/20/2009) -- The AAFP has hailed House passage of a bill that would provide a permanent fix for the sustainable growth rate, or SGR formula, as a victory for both Medicare patients and their physicians. More

AAFP Puts Muscle Behind Support for Bill to Fix SGR Formula

(11/13/2009) -- The AAFP is rallying support for a House bill that would provide a permanent fix for the sustainable growth rate, or SGR, formula and, thus, avert a 21.2 percent reduction in the Medicare physician payment rate scheduled to take place Jan. 1. More

AAFP President Continues to Press Congress on Health Care Reform Issues

Capitol Hill Meetings Underscore Importance of Family Medicine

(11/10/2009) -- AAFP President Lori Heim, M.D., of Vass, N.C., returned to Capitol Hill on Nov. 5, meeting with lawmakers and their staff members for the second time in less than two weeks to re-emphasize the importance of primary care and family medicine in any health care reform bill passed by Congress. More

AAFP Letter to House Speaker Expresses Support for Reform Legislation

But Changes Are Called For, Says Board Chair

(11/04/2009) -- In a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., the AAFP has expressed its support for two health care reform bills pending in the House, but the Academy also noted that there are improvements that could be made in the bills to support tort reform and improve payment for primary care physicians. More

MedPAC Members Characterize RBRVS System as Subjective, 'Deeply Flawed'

(11/03/2009) -- The process used to determine the relative value of physician services for the Medicare program is deeply flawed and driven by the interests of subspecialty societies, according to some members of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, or MedPAC, which met last month in Washington, D.C. More

AAFP Leaders Make Case for Family Medicine During Capitol Hill Visits

(10/28/2009) -- As Congress moves closer to passing a comprehensive health care reform bill, the AAFP continues to make a strong case for primary care and family medicine on Capitol Hill, telling lawmakers that health care reform will not succeed without a robust primary care system. More

Legislation Providing Permanent SGR Fix Dies in Senate

(10/21/2009) -- In another blow to payment measures for physicians, Senate leaders were unable to bring a bill to the Senate floor that would have permanently fixed the sustainable growth rate, or SGR, formula, which is used to determine Medicare's physician payment rates. Without a fix to the formula, physicians in the Medicare program face a 21 percent pay cut in January. More

Proposed Legislation Would Clear Path to Permanent Medicare Physician Payment Fix

Academy Calls on Members to Contact Legislators Today

(10/15/2009) -- A movement to permanently fix Medicare's physician fee schedule began working its way through the U.S. Senate Wednesday when Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., introduced the Medicare Physician Fairness Act of 2009, or S. 1776. Now, the AAFP is using its Speak Out alert system to ask members to contact their legislators to support the bill. More