A tentative 10-month agreement to the Medicare physician payment patch was reached yesterday as part of the payroll-tax deal. The arrangement means Congress will be addressing another, steeper Sustainable Growth Rate cut – nearly 32 percent – at the end of the year, during the lame duck session.

“While ASCO appreciates Congress’s efforts to avoid steep cuts to Medicare, the current situation remains untenable,” said Richard L. Schilsky, MD, chair of the ASCO Government Relations Committee. “In order for seniors to continue receiving high-quality cancer care in their communities, Congress must take action to permanently repeal the SGR. It is the only way practices will be able to survive this roller coaster of cuts and patches that are continuously threatening access to cancer care for Medicare patients.”

According the most recent reports lawmakers have agreed to cut Medicare bad debt payments and the Affordable Care Act prevention funds in order to offset the cost of the SGR patch. The latest reports indicate that members of Congress are scheduled to meet with the Congressional Budget Office today to nail down the final pay-fors and numbers. Stay tuned to ASCO in Action for the latest on the SGR.