(Alexandria, Virginia) – Originally conceived as a way to help reform the Medicare program in the late 90’s, the SGR formula (SGR) for reducing reimbursements to healthcare providers has caused problems for seniors, doctors, and Congress. The SGR causes such a problem that Congress is forced to pass the “doc fix” every few months. The “doc fix” ensures funding for Medicare covered procedures to prevent doctors from turning away seniors. Policy experts fear the SGR is so harmful to senior care that if left unchanged, it could become nearly impossible for seniors to get healthcare in the future.

Jim Martin, Chairman and Founder of the 60 Plus Association, has called for permanent repeal of the SGR, saying, “Saving Medicare is one of the founding principles the 60 Plus Association and allowing the SGR to continue puts Medicare in jeopardy. Using temporary measures to save Medicare is not good enough for seniors, only permanent repeal of the SGR is acceptable, and only after the SGR is repealed can we really talk about ways to reform Medicare to ensure its survival. The continual kicking of the can down the road with the ‘doc fix’ causes uncertainty for seniors and their healthcare providers, compounding the problem by making long-term healthcare of our aging population more expensive and difficult to obtain.

“Ending the SGR should be a bipartisan issue, but the ultra-liberal Harry Reid and the fundraising wing of the Democratic Party are up to it again – using the ‘doc fix’ as a tool to pad campaign coffers. It is time to end the SGR and make the ‘doc fix’ permanent to provide certainty to seniors. The surest way to save Medicare for the future and solve the ‘doc fix’ problem is to elect a Republican Senate in November.”

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