This month Senate passed the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015. It is being referred to as the“doc fix” bill and replaces the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula, which is a formula that determines physician’s payments. If this change was not made, Medicare doctors would have faced a 21% cut in pay in April, 2015. The Medicare Rights Center states this bill “replaces the SGR with alternative, value-driven payment strategies” and asserts that “this is good news for people with Medicare, who need to know their doctors will be there when they need them.”

This bill also extends the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for two years, permanently funds the Qualified Individual (QI) program, and also extends federal funding for community-based organizations that find and enroll individuals in low-income assistance programs.

Full article from Medicare Rights Center here: http://www.medicarerights.org/resources/newsletters/medicare-watch/