SGR Band-Aid clears House, yields a mixed bag for imaging

The U.S. House of Representative passed the Middle Class Tax Relief & Job Creation Act (H.R. 3630) Dec. 13. Among other things, H.R. 3630 prevents an across the board 27 percent cut to Medicare physician reimbursement statutorily required by the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula. The bill provides physicians with a 1 percent increase in Medicare payments for 2012 and 2013.

Although more than $1.3 billion in imaging cuts had been considered at various times throughout the process, H.R. 3630 contains no medical imaging cuts.

However, H.R. 3630 does not include language from H.R. 3269, the Diagnostic Imaging Services Access Protection Act. H.R. 3269 would block implementation of a 25 percent multiple procedure payment reduction to the professional component payment for MRI, CT and ultrasound exams.

H.R. 3269 has 127 co-sponsors in the House. The American College of Radiology has affirmed its commitment to the bill and will continue to press Senators to include language from H.R. 3269 in any SGR legislation considered in the U.S. Senate.

The bill also seeks to amend provisions of the Patient Protecition and Affordable Care Act that restricts physician-owned hospitals. Included in the bill is a narrow provision that will allow hospitals under construction that missed an arbitrary deadline, and those that need to expand to meet community demand, to serve Medicare and Medicaid patients.