The ink was barely dry on the Medicare Physician Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) fix, and it has already been changed.

One component of the SGR fix, which was just passed in April of this year, was freezing Medicare physician payments from 2019 through 2025, and then allowing a .75% increase for physicians participating in alternative payment programs.

The 2015 Budget Deal extends the payment freeze through 2026.  I have not seen the language of the Bill with respect to the promised .75% increase for participating in payment reform.

In addition, the Budget Deal reduces payments to Hospital Outpatient Departments (HOPD) to the Medicare physician payment rates if the physicians are located more than 250 yards from the hospital campus.