Demonstrating yet again how broken the Medicare sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula is, physicians will face a 24 percent Medicare payment cut next year if Congress does not seize the opportunity to put a stop to the formula's annual threat of drastic payment cuts. This figure was confirmed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) last week, when the agency released its final physician fee schedule for 2014.

The California Medical Association (CMA) is currently reviewing the final rule, which was released much later than usual because of the government shutdown in October. Stay tuned for details.

CMA and others in organized medicine continue to press Congress for SGR repeal this year. 

Contact: Elizabeth McNeil, (800) 786-4262 or emcneil@cmadocs.org.