	Frequently Asked Questions

		What is the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR), and why has it required repeated congressional attention? 105-33 ), the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) is the statutory method for determining the annual updates to the Medicare physician fee schedule (MPFS). The lack of a viable alternative payment model has hampered attempts to repeal and replace the SGR system. Each of the three committees of jurisdiction passed bills in 2013 that would repeal the SGR system for determining Medicare physician payment updates. When does the current doc fix patch expire?
This report responds to frequently asked questions about the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) system for updating Medicare physician fee schedule payments (MPFS) and the recent legislative efforts to repeal and replace the SGR. Frequently asked questions address the background of the SGR, the need for congressional overrides (also referred to as "doc fixes"), and current legislative activity.
For additional information, see CRS Report R40907, Medicare Physician Payment Updates and the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) System , by [author name scrubbed].