Nearly 260 members of the U.S. House of Representatives signed a Nov. 20 letter that urges Congress to repeal Medicare’s failed sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula by the year’s end.

The letter bears the signatures of the majority of House lawmakers. Among the signatories are 141 republicans and 118 democrats, representing more than half of the members of each party in the House. A majority of the California delegation, both Democrats and Republicans signed the letter.

The letter, which is addressed to the Speaker and Minority Leader of the House, cites the current cost of repeal – half of what it was last year – as the “fiscally responsible step” toward Medicare reform and states that Congress “should not pass up this chance to repeal the SGR ... and enact a permanent solution.”

Last week, during the AMA Interim Meeting held in Washington D.C., physician leaders from more than 35 states participated in AMA grassroots advocacy on Capitol Hill, engaging more than 100 of their members of Congress on this issue during face-to-face visits.