Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Alliance for Retired Americans - Friday Alert, June 25, 2010


Congress Delivers President Obama a �Doc Fix� Bill
After realizing that combining the 'Doc Fix' provision with a jobs creation package was not politically feasible, House Democrats promptly passed a six-month solution to the ongoing cuts in Medicare reimbursement rates to physicians. The temporary fix passed the House late Thursday night by a vote of 415-1. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services had already started to process Medicare claims at the 21%-lower rate, causing severe financial damage to medical practices nationally. All prior claims will be resubmitted and paid at the new reimbursement rates. Additionally, the bill allows for a 2.2% raise for physician reimbursement rates.