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Practice Alert
January 2013

Mirean Coleman, LICSW, CT
Senior Practice Associate

Medicare’s Sustainable Growth Rate Averted

The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 was signed by President Obama on January 2, 2013.  This new law averted a payment reduction of 26.5 percent in 2013 for clinical social workers and other health care professionals who are Medicare providers.  Under the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR), the law provides a zero percent increase for Medicare providers through December 31, 2013.  The law also provides Congress with additional time to fix the SGR which is an annual growth rate that controls growth in Medicare expenditures for provider services. Clinical social workers are encouraged to write their Congressmen and request them to eliminate the SGR.
 
Although the SGR is zero for 2013, clinical social workers who are Medicare providers are reminded that 2013 is the final year of a four year transition to practice expense relative valued updates. Thus, clinical social workers will continue to receive a final practice expense reduction of a minus two percent for 2013.

Additional information about the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 is available online at http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/112/hr8/text.