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Therapy Caps Exceptions Process Extension Included In Jobs Bill |
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Therapy Caps Exceptions
Process Extension Included In Jobs Bill
After a draft of a bipartisan
comprehensive jobs bill was released earlier in the week and then pulled back by
Senate Democrats, Senate Finance Committee leaders Thursday issued a draft of a
new jobs-creation bill that included provision which would extend the Medicare
Part B therapy caps exceptions process and delay through September 30 an
impending 21% cut in payments for Medicare physicians. Senate Finance Committee
Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) and Ranking Member Charles Grassley (R-IA) posted the
draft of the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act (HIRE)
online, along with a summary.
Among other provisions, the
bill would provide relief to skilled nursing facilities which have been
struggling with the expiration of the exceptions process for Medicare therapy
caps. Many residents are at risk of bumping up against the caps ($1,860 for
physical and speech therapy combined, and $1,860 for occupational therapy) until
Congress acts to restore the exceptions process. AHCA and other stakeholders in
the therapy community have been working aggressively on Capitol Hill to get
Congress to address the therapy cap issue. The Democratic leadership is
proposing to use the jobs bill to move a number of health care and tax items
often referred to as “extenders” because they extend items that are expiring,
such as the exceptions process on the therapy cap and a provision preventing a
scheduled cut in Medicare physician payments from taking place. Republican
support for the slimmer jobs bill is uncertain at this time, and if Senate
Republicans are unified in opposition to the legislation, they could block its
passage.
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