Docs Brace for Cuts: The Policy & Practice Podcast

image courtesy of iStock

The ink may be dry on the debt ceiling and deficit reduction agreement, but there are still plenty of questions about what it will mean for doctors. The plan to cut trillions in federal spending did not address the Sustainable Growth Rate formula (SGR), the loathed payment formula used to set Medicare physician fees. On Jan. 1, 2012, physician payments are slated to be cut by 30% because of the SGR. Some physicians say that without congressional action to avert the scheduled cut, access to health care could be in jeopardy.

Meanwhile, the debt agreement set up a bipartisan committee that will recommend additional spending cuts. This committee could take aim at Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act.

In other bad news for physicians, a new study in the journal Health Affairs shows that American doctors spend nearly $83,000 per year to deal with health plans and paperwork. That’s four times what their counterparts in Canada spend. For details on this and more, check out the Aug. 8 edition of the Policy & Practice Podcast.

Take a listen and share your thoughts.

The Policy & Practice team will be taking a short summer break, but check back on Aug. 22 for all the latest news on health reform and what it means for you.

Debt Debate Rages On: The Policy & Practice Podcast

Courtesy flickr user SqueakyMarmot (CC)

As Republicans and Democrats battle over a solution to the nation’s debt crisis, doctors’ groups are voicing their desire to see a permanent solution to the Sustainable Growth Rate formula (SGR) as part of that package. Some physicians see the debt ceiling debate as the last chance for quite a while to reach a real solution.

Meanwhile, government official revealed several new Affordable Care Act initiatives including Consumer Oriented and Operated Plans — or CO-OPs — and bundled payments for Medicare.

Also, at the behest of the Health and Human Services department, an expert panel of the Institute of Medicine released its list of recommended preventive health care services for women. Under the ACA, health plans must cover preventive services proscribed by HHS without cost sharing beginning in 2014. The list of recommendations includes birth control, emergency contraception, gestational diabetes screening, HPV testing for women over 30, and STD counseling.

Listen to this week’s podcast for more and share your thoughts.

Check back next week for updates on debt ceiling talks and health reform implementation.

—Frances Correa (@FMCReporting on Twitter)

Image courtesy of flickr user SqueakyMarmot, used under a Creative Commons license.