Newswise — WASHINGTON – Last night, the Senate passed H.R. 2, the “Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act,” which permanently replaces the Sustainable Growth Rate formula used to calculate physician payment in Medicare programs. Donald W. Fisher, Ph.D., CAE, President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Medical Group Association (AMGA), made the following statement: “AMGA congratulates Congress on passing legislation that repeals the Sustainable Growth Rate payment system in Medicare. SGR reform has been a decades-long effort, and Congress should be proud of its work. The new law creates much-needed financial stability as well as a path for medical groups and physicians to transition from being paid on volume to being paid for value. We look forward to working with Congress and the Department of Health and Human Services as we all move to improving care and reducing costs.”

About AMGAThe American Medical Group Association is a 501(c)(6) trade association representing medical groups, health systems, and other organized systems of care, including some of the nation's largest, most prestigious integrated delivery systems. AMGA is a leading voice in advocating for efficient, team-based, and accountable care. AMGA members encompass all models of organized systems of care in the healthcare industry, including: physician-owned, independent group practices, integrated delivery systems, hospital-affiliated medical groups, independent practice associations (IPAs), academic and faculty practices, accountable care organizations, and high-performing health systems. More than 170,000 physicians practice in AMGA member organizations, providing healthcare services for 120 million patients (approximately one in three Americans). Headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, AMGA is the strategic partner for these organizations, providing a comprehensive package of benefits, including political advocacy, educational and networking programs, publications, benchmarking data services, and financial and operations assistance. www.amga.org