Legislation in the U.S. Senate that would delay the implementation of a 21% cut in Medicare reimbursement passed a key hurdle on April 12.
The U.S. Congress has been debating legislation that would delay the reimbursement cut, which is called for by Medicare's sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS). Congress has already passed a series of short-term fixes but has been unable to implement a long-term solution.
The SGR cuts were scheduled to go into effect on April 1 after the Senate went on its spring recess without coming to a resolution on HR 4851, a legislative package already passed by the House of Representatives that would temporarily continue a number of government programs. The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) responded by stating that it would hold claims for services under the MPFS system for the first 10 business days of April pending resolution of the matter.
With Congress back in session on April 12, the Senate revisited the bill and by a 60-34 vote passed a motion to invoke cloture, a procedural move that is expected to allow the entire bill to come to a vote this week.
Related Reading
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Medicare SGR cut to go into effect April 1, March 29, 2010
Senate extends SGR deadline until October, March 11, 2010
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Senate fails to avert 21% Medicare cut, February 26, 2010
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