House Approves Additional Short-Term Extension of Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Fix/Therapy Cap Exception Process
Today the House approved H.R. 4851, the Continuing Extension Act of 2010, by a voice vote. The legislation, which still awaits Senate action, would: extend current Medicare physician fee schedule rates through April 30, 2010 (preventing a 21.2% payment reduction), extend the outpatient therapy cap exceptions process through April 30, 2010; clarify that doctors in outpatient facilities are eligible for health information technology incentive payments; extend COBRA premium assistance subsidies through April 30, 2010; and make other policy changes. Congress still is grappling with funding a package of longer-term policy extenders.
