SGR Repeal: Reprieve or Pyrrhic Victory?

The United States Congress recently passed the bill titled H.R.2: the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) to repeal the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR). The SGR, part of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, was passed to attempt to control the rate of growth for Medicare spending for physician services. As a result, all physicians were annually subject to the aggregate cuts in compensation depending on rate of economic growth in the country, requiring Congress to pass legislation each year to defer the scheduled pay cuts. Will MACRA, however, truly be a reprieve to providers from the threat of annual cuts in reimbursement of between 21% and 30%, or will it result in a Pyrrhic victory for both providers and patients after the financial impact of the repeal has been realized and the quality of health care delivery and true access to care for our seniors have been evaluated? This article from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Workforce on Health Policy, Advocacy, and Reform attempts to summarize MACRA and considers its impact on the specialty of cardiothoracic surgery.