On July 15, 2008, the House and Senate overrode the President’s veto of H.R. 6331, the  “Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008” (MIPPA).  The law rescinds a 10.6% cut in physician payments and delays a controversial medical equipment competitive bidding program, both of which went into effect July 1, 2008, and makes numerous other Medicare and Medicaid policy changes. The vote was 70-26 in the Senate and 383-41 in the House, following the President’s veto earlier in the day.
Continue Reading MIPPA: Medicare Physician Payment/DMEPOS Bidding Delay Legislation Enacted

On June 30, 2008, President Bush signed into law a supplemental appropriations bill (H.R. 2642) that provides emergency funding for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and a number of domestic priorities. Among other things, the new law, P.L. 110-252, imposes a moratorium on implementation of a number of Medicaid regulations through April 1, 2009. 

On June 19, 2008, the House of Representatives approved a modified version of emergency Iraq and Afghanistan appropriations legislation (H.R. 2642) that also includes funding for a number of domestic priorities. Among other things, the bill would extend a current moratorium on implementation of certain Medicaid regulations and block additional rules through April 1, 2009.