With Congress facing increasing pressure from President Obama to fast-track passage of health care reform, the Academy is escalating its efforts to thwart inclusion of cost-control mechanisms that could exclude input from medicine on certain changes. One such measure is a Medicare Payment Advisory Commission-type commission authorized to automatically cut Medicare and other payments to providers, as well as to implement untested reforms. The Academy is actively engaged with other physician organizations as key House and Senate committees debate legislation that, among other things, puts a long-term sustainable growth rate (SGR) fix in play. While recognizing that compromise language will likely occur, the groups have established some important policy priorities:

• Repealing the SGR and replacing it with two new conversion factors
• Establishing timely feedback and an appeals process for participants in a voluntary CMS Physician Quality Reporting Initiative
• Ensuring no penalties or reprisals for providers not participating in a public health insurance option

While reform discussions are still ongoing and no pending legislation is perfect, we are committed to continued collaboration with health leaders in Congress to improve the bills being considered.