House Passes "Doc Fix" for Seniors
The U.S. House passed a watered-down version of H.R. 4213, "The American Jobs, Closing Tax Loopholes, and Preventing Outsourcing Act," on Friday. The original bill was supposed to extend unemployment benefits, COBRA, and Federal Medicaid assistance to the states, as well as prevent doctors from being subject to scheduled Medicare reimbursement cuts beginning on June 1. The version that passed does include $23 billion in funding to put off 21% cuts in reimbursements to doctors for 19 months. This provision, known as the "Doc Fix," passed 245-171 and ensures that Medicare beneficiaries have access to quality and affordable medical care.
