Senate Passes Doc Fix Bill

The U.S. Senate tonight passed a bill entitled the “Physician Payment and Therapy Relief Act” that will postpone a 23% cut in Medicare reimbursement to physicians from December 1^st to January 1^st.   The bill was constructed by Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), chair of the Senate Finance Committee, and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA).   Senators Baucus and Grassley also announced that they would seek a second “doc fix” that would further delay the scheduled December 1^st pay cut as well as the 2% pay cut scheduled for January 1, 2011.  The second bill would postpone all pending physician reimbursement cuts until January 1, 2012. 

Unfortunately for physicians facing the 23% pay cut in 12 days, the House has already adjourned for the Thanksgiving holiday, meaning that they cannot take up consideration of the Senate bill before November 29^th.  There is currently a bill proposed by Representative John Dingell (D-MI) that would extend the effective date of Medicare cuts until January 1, 2012.  Whether the House pursues Dingell’s bill or takes up the Senate bill on the 29^th is unclear, but spokespersons for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) have indicated that the House would consider “doc fix” legislation prior to the December 1^st deadline.