House releases reform bills; AMA reviewing both -- Oct. 29, 2009

Here's your regular update on efforts by the American Medical Association (AMA) to work with lawmakers in reforming the nation's health care system in a way that provides quality, affordable health care for all.

The U.S. House of Representatives unveiled H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act (PDF), earlier today. The bill represents the melding of the three House versions of health system reform legislation and includes a public option in which physician participation is voluntary and payments are based on negotiated rates and the private insurance market.

The House also unveiled H.R. 3961, the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act (PDF). This bill would repeal Medicare's sustainable growth rate, or SGR, formula and replace it with a payment system that provides for more predictable updates from Medicare.

The AMA's advocacy staff is in the process of reviewing these bills, which together run more than 2,000 pages. The House is expected to take up both bills next week. House strategy on combining the bills or moving them separately has not yet been finalized.