Senate Debate on Payment Extension Concludes (April 15, 2010)

This evening, April 15, 2010, the Senate passed an amended version of HR 4851, the Continuing Extension Act of 2010, by a vote of 59–38. This legislation would avoid the 21.3% Medicare physician payment cut by extending 2009 rates through the end of May 2010, as well as address other expiring programs such as extended unemployment and COBRA benefits for individuals who have lost their jobs.

An earlier version of this legislation passed the House in March before the spring congressional recess, but passage was blocked in the Senate due to controversy over the bill’s designation as an emergency measure that would not require budgetary offsets.

Because the versions of HR 4851 passed by the House and Senate differ, the revised legislation must be sent back to the House for approval, perhaps as early as this evening. In any event, both the House and Senate are expected to complete action by the end of this week on a bill that will retroactively restore Medicare payment levels to where they were on March 31, 2010, and extend 2009 payment rates through May 31, 2010.

It is possible that some claims for physician services were processed today at rates reflecting the 21.3% cut. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has said that any such claims will be reprocessed and payment adjustments made without physicians having to take any additional action.