Stearns Joins in Approving Bill Extending Current Medicare Provider Payments Through 2011

Press Release

"Without this measure, physicians were facing drastic cuts in Medicare reimbursements next year," stated Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Sixth). "Physicians providing care under Medicare must be reimbursed for their services or they will understandably abandon the program. Forty-five million Americans rely on Medicare and more than three million Floridians depend on the program."

Stearns joined the House today in approving H.R. 4994, the Medicare and Medicaid Extenders Act, which now goes to the President for his expected approval. Explained Stearns, "This measure will prevent a 25-percent cut to Medicare physician payments under the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula that would otherwise go into effect on January 1, 2011. The proposal also includes extensions of other expiring health care provisions, including protections for rural hospitals and doctors, extends Transitional Medical Assistance, extension of the exception process for Medicare therapy caps, repeals the delay of Resource Utilization Group, Version Four (RUG-IV) to0 help skilled nursing facilities with their billing, and reauthorizes the Special Diabetes Program.

Added Stearns, "H.R. 4994 is paid for by modifying the policy regarding overpayments of the health care affordability tax credit. The health care law charged individuals who received subsidy overpayments a small flat $250 penalty. This bill will provide a sliding scale financial penalty ensuring that the federal government can recoup more funds from overpayment. This will save the government $19 billion and is the first fiscal change to the near trillion dollar health care law."

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