June 25 , 2010 by: ASRM Office of Public Affairs Orginally published in ASRM Bulletin Volume 12, Number 24
Thursday evening, the House passed a bill to provide a 2.2 percent Medicare fee schedule update for physician services through November 2010. The bill passed by a bipartisan vote of 417 to 1. The same legislation passed the Senate last week, so the bill will be sent promptly to President Obama’s desk to be signed into law.
The 2.2% update will replace the 21 percent Medicare cut currently in effect, and be applied retroactively to claims for services provided on or after June 1.
The six-month fix is only a short-term solution to the problem. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called it “totally inadequate” but the House adopted it after it became apparent the gridlocked Senate could not pass a better measure.
See “House Passes Plan to Stop Medicare Cuts to Doctors,”http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/25/health/policy/25medicare.html?scp=1&sq=medicare%20obama%20fix&st=cse.
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