AUA records victories in the Senate as 21.2% cut looms

So as this issue of Urology Times went to press, passage of major health care reform legislation-on which AUA and other health care groups had devoted considerable time, energy, and resources-was in jeopardy.

Also unclear was whether, or how, Congress would step in to prevent the 21.2% Medicare physician pay cut, scheduled for March 1, from being implemented.

Pay-as-you-go reprieve?

The good news for physicians, however, is that the Senate's bill would allow Congress to spend up to $82 billion more on physician payments without offsetting that spending. While it's not enough to cover the complete cost of overhauling the payment system, it could be enough for some form of shorter-term fix.

Although physician groups are talking tough and saying they "won't accept" a short-term solution, clearly that would be better than having to accept a whopping 21.2% average fee cut in one fell swoop.