SGR: A patchwork of fixes
Congress has passed 17 different bills to prevent across-the-board Medicare pay cuts due to the SGR, ranging from 3.3% (2005) to 27.4% (2012). Nearly all have been paid for by some kind of offset. Here’s the sordid history:
• 2003 Consolidated Appropriations Act (4.9%)
• 2004 Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvements, and Modernization Act (4.5%)
• 2005 Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvements, and Modernization Act (3.3%)
• 2006 Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (4.4%)
• 2007 Tax Relief and Health Care Act (5%)
• 2008 Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP Extension Act (about 10.%)
• 2009 Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (16%)
• 2010 DOD Appropriations Act plus two Temporary Extension Acts (21%)
• 2010 Preservation of Access to Care for Medicare Beneficiaries Act (21.2%)
• 2010 Physician Payment and Therapy Relief Act (23% )
• 2011 Medicare and Medicaid Extenders Act (25%)
• 2012 Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act (27.4%)
• 2012 Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act (27.4%)
• 2013 American Tax Payer Relief Act (26.5%)
• 2014 Pathway for SGR Reform Act (20.1%)
• 2014 Protecting Access To Medicare Act (24% )