Quality as a system property: section 646 of the Medicare Modernization Act.
The Medicare Trustees' 2004 report indicates that the Part A Hospital Insurance trust fund will be exhausted by 2019. Medicare's sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula for physician reimbursement is widely recognized as being flawed; if it is not reformed, it may result in reduced access to physician services for beneficiaries. MedPAC proposes an alternative to the SGR formula that involves explicit consideration of Medicare program objectives and ensures that payments for physician services be adequate to maintain access. Section 646 of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act (MMA) of 2003 may provide answers regarding providing high-quality care in fee-for-service Medicare.
Harrington
Paul
P
Vermont Medical Society in Montpelier, USA. pharrington@vtmd.org
D006278:Medicare / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000592:standards; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012051:Reimbursement Mechanisms; D014481:United States