Bill to eliminate Medicare SGR lacks votes

by CHARLES FIEGL on Oct 20, 2009

I've been told S. 1776, the Medicare Physician Fairness Act of 2009,  just doesn't have the votes in the Senate to pass, right now. Washington-based The Hill also reports the bill has stalled.

Conservatives and moderates are unlikely to support a bill increasing the federal budget by billions without any offsets. There's general concern for the huge deficits projected every year for the next decade.

There is still some hope for eliminating the Medicare sustainable growth rate (SGR). Unlike the Senate, the House of Representatives has proposed fixing the SGR mechanism in its major health care reform bill.

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