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Nine national hospital organizations, including the AHA, today again expressed support for bipartisan legislation to permanently replace the Medicare physician sustainable growth rate formula. “H.R. 2 will move physicians toward payment based on value rather than volume, a change that has been led by hospitals,” the groups told senators in a letter. “For too long, the annual effort of ‘patching’ the SGR has resulted in postponement of a sustainable and predictable remedy, escalating the budgetary cost of an eventual solution and resulting in significant and damaging Medicare and Medicaid cuts to hospitals. While the legislation produced in the House is not perfect, it provides a balanced approach to addressing the SGR. We appreciate the effort that has been put forth in crafting this legislation. Eliminating planned cuts to physicians in Medicare will ensure access to care for our nation’s Medicare beneficiaries.” The current SGR patch expired March 31, along with several other Medicare payment provisions that the bill would extend. CMS  it must take steps to implement the expiring provisions, but is “working to limit any impact to Medicare providers and beneficiaries as much as possible.”