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ASCO Praises Historic Congressional Vote Ending Medicare's 13-Year Roller Coaster Ride
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SGR Repeal Restores Stability to One of Cancer Care's Most Vital Programs
Statement by ASCO President Peter Paul Yu, MD, FACP, FASCO
"Today's courageous vote by the U.S. Senate to finally end the Sustainable Growth Rate formula is a vote for the millions of patients with cancer who depend on Medicare to help them fight their disease. With Congress passing this historic legislation to finally end the 13-year SGR roller coaster ride, Medicare beneficiaries and their physicians can breathe easier knowing that they will no longer face the perennial threat of payment cuts that risk disruption of care and cause anxiety among patients.
We praise the 92 Senators for voting "yes" on The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (H.R.2) and for joining the 392 House members who voted earlier to support this long-awaited legislation. The Congressional bipartisan, bicameral leadership that forged this much-anticipated resolution has taken an important step to restore stability and confidence in Medicare.
The American Society of Clinical Oncology looks forward to working with policymakers to ensure that this new law is effectively implemented and paves the way to new payment models that foster high-quality, value-based health care for all Americans with cancer."
President Obama's anticipated signature on H.R. 2 effectively reverses the 21 percent cut in physician payments, required under the now repealed SGR formula, with CMS expected to begin processing claims immediately.
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