The House of Medicine is up in arms about a proposal to use Medicaid parity funds to cover a short term fix to the perennially troublesome Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula. A coalition of doctors’ organizations is urging lawmakers to find a different way to make up for the 27% cut in Medicare pay slated for Jan. 1.
Under the ACA, Medicaid payment for primary care services would be on par with Medicare pay for two-years, benefiting family physicians, pediatricians, internists and even subspecialists in certain situations. But, even if Congress walks away from this funding proposal, it still will need to come up with a fix for the SGR before New Year’s Day.
Frances Correa/IMNG Medical Media
Match Day 2012 at Howard University
Meanwhile, researchers from the Mayo Clinic have found that the call for more primary care physician still falls on deaf ears. In a survey of more than 16,000 third year residents, few reported they planned on becoming general internists. More of these students are headed into subspecialties like cardiology, oncology, or gastroenterology. Why? Experts say it's simple - that's where the money is.