U.S. President Barack Obama on April 16 signed into law legislation that permanently replaces Medicare's sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula, according to the White House press secretary.
The legislation, known as HR 2 or the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, also reforms Medicare physician payment policies to encourage efficient, high-quality care; extends for two years funding of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP); and extends several other health programs that were set to expire, as well as the Secure Rural Schools program.
Finally, the bill removes Social Security numbers from Medicare cards in addition to other improvements, the secretary said.
