On April 15, 2010, Congress approved and President Obama signed into law a measure that retroactively blocks a 21.2% Medicare physician fee schedule cut that went into effect April 1, 2010 under the statutory sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula when a previous short-term fix expired. The amended version of the H.R. 4851, the Continuing Extension Act, provides that Medicare physician fee schedule rates in effect in 2009 are extended through May 31, 2010 (rather than April 30, as in an earlier House-approved version). The new law also clarifies that doctors in outpatient facilities are eligible for health information technology incentive payments, extends COBRA premium assistance subsidies through May 31, 2010, and makes changes to unemployment insurance and other federal policies. Lawmakers still are seeking agreement on a long-term fix for the looming Medicare physician fee schedule SGR cuts.