In This Issue:

- Permanent Medicare Doc-Fix Entering Critical Week

- Implementation of the Affordable Care Act

- Other Federal Regulatory Initiatives

- Congressional Initiatives

- Other Health Care News

- Upcoming Congressional Hearings

- Excerpt Permanent Medicare Doc-Fix Entering Critical Week:

The Medicare physician payment formula known as the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) or the Doc Fix, which was passed in 1996 as a means to control Medicare costs, may finally be repealed based on Congressional negotiations this week. Since 2003, Congress has spent nearly $170 billion in short term patches to avoid untenable cuts imposed by the payment formula that has required policymakers to find cost savings through other programs in what has become at least a yearly scramble to prevent significant reductions in physician pay. The most recent patch will expire on March 31st.