MGMA Calls Out its Disappointment in the Federal Sequester

With the federal budget sequester looming on the horizon on Friday, March 1, healthcare provider association executives began to speak out on the impact on healthcare of the sequester. In a statement from the Englewood, Colo.-based Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), Susan L. Turney, M.D., the association’s president and CEO, said, “MGMA is disappointed in Congress’s failure to prevent across-the-board sequestration cuts, which will impact payments to physicians and compound the already dire situation for medical group practices caused by the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula. This arbitrary and formulaic approach destabilizes Medicare at a time when Congress should be focused on implementing policies to achieve a high-performing patient-centered program. We urge Congress to see a responsible, comprehensive deficit reduction package that reverses the Medicare sequestration cuts and repeals the SGR once and for all,” Turney added. MGMA represents 22,500 members who lead 13,200 organizations nationwide.