On March 26, U.S. House leaders filed a revised bill that would stave off scheduled cuts to Medicare physician payments through April 1, 2015. The House could vote on the bill as soon as Thursday, March 27, and Senate action is expected to follow. Medicare physician payments are scheduled to be cut by 24 percent on April 1 without congressional action.

In a Special Bulletin, AHA outlined the hospital-related highlights:

 Medicare extenders – The bill would extend the Medicare-Dependent Hospital (MDH) Program, low-volume adjustment and ambulance add-on payments through April 1, 2015. Two-midnight rule – The bill would extend the delay in enforcement of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) two-midnight policy for an additional six months, through March 31, 2015. This provision would prohibit recovery audit contractors (RACs) from auditing inpatient claims spanning less than two midnights for the six-month period and extend the “probe and educate” program for auditing...

With Congress on recess this week, the deadline is fast approaching to "fix" the physician sustainable growth rate formula (SGR). The House has approved a measure (see March 19 edition of KHA Health e-News for reference to a Modern Healthcare article on this measure). The Senate has introduced its version. With respect to the SGR portion, both appear to be the same. It's in the pay-for and additional items that the bills are different.

For an analysis and commentary on the physician SGR "fix," view the Washington Perspectives article from KHA Washington liaison Larry Goldberg.