Work Begins on Extending Payroll Tax Cut
The Congressional conference committee appointed to work out a longer extension of the payroll tax cut and the physician fee fix has begun meeting. The current extension is only through the end of February, meaning that the tax cut will expire and the physician fee cut will take effect if nothing is done. As was the case when the short-term extension legislation was negotiated last month, the two political parties are far apart on the critical issue of how to fund these provisions, which will cost more than $100 billion, as well as other issues such as the XL oil pipeline. Unfortunately, the possibility that cutting Medicare bad debt payments to skilled nursing facilities could be part of the “pay for” still exists, and AHCA has called upon members to contact their Congressional representatives to oppose this option. The Part B therapy caps also are tied up in this negotiation.