Senate passes bill to delay SGR cut

The U.S. Senate has passed an amendment that if confirmed by the House will again delay Medicare payment cuts, this time until June 1.

In a 60 to 40 vote on April 14, Senators passed the legislation, part of an overall bill that would temporarily extend funding for other federal programs such as unemployment benefits, COBRA health insurance subsidies for the unemployed, and the national flood insurance program.

Sponsored by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), the amendment's purpose is to again temporarily delay the 21% cut in physician reimbursements mandated by the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula.

The cut went into effect April 1, although the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) had told contractors to hold claims for services performed on or after April 1 for the first 10 business days of this month. That hold expired April 14.

"It's in Congress' hands," Ellen Griffith of CMS' Office of External Affairs told AuntMinnie.com in an e-mail. "And Congress has not at this point delayed the payment cut."

Related Reading

Bill to delay SGR cut inches forward, April 14, 2010

CMS offers reprieve to SGR rate cuts, March 31, 2010

Medicare SGR cut to go into effect April 1, March 29, 2010

Senate extends SGR deadline until October, March 11, 2010

Senate delays Medicare payment cuts until April, March 3, 2010

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