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Commissoners propose payment, malpractice reforms

Fiscal commission reportThe two men leading the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform released a draft document outlining their thoughts on cutting the national deficit and improving the federal budget. The 50-page document dedicates six pages to the Medicare program in a section titled Mandatory Budget Options.

The preliminary report represents the co-chairmen's ideas and not the consensus of the whole commission. However, physician practices should take note of where the commission might be headed when it comes to Medicare reimbursement issues. The commissioners want to fix the flawed Medicare payment formula that uses the sustainable growth rate (SGR) mechanism. But, the fix would be paid for.

It would "Fully offset the cost of the ‘Doc Fix' by asking doctors and other health providers, lawyers, and individuals to take responsibility for slowing health care cost growth." These offsets include:

  • Pay doctors and other providers less, improve efficiency, and reward quality by speeding up payment reforms
  • Pay lawyers less and reduce the cost of defensive medicine by adopting comprehensive tort or malpractice reform
  • Expand cost-sharing in Medicare to promote informed consumer health choices and spending
  • Expand successful cost containment demonstrations
  • Strengthen Independent Payment Advisory Board
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