Senate Passes Emergency Legislation to Temporarily Avoid Disastrous Physician Pay Cut

Late in the evening on March 2, the US Senate approved the House-passed bill that extends unemployment benefits, COBRA, the SGR and other payment and benefit provisions.  The bill funds Medicare payments to physicians at the current rate until March 31.  The President immediately signed the bill.  

Meanwhile, the Senate is working on another bill that would extend these same benefits for several more months.  In the case of the SGR, payments would be extended to October 1 of this year.  This bill will likely pass the Senate later this week or early next and would likely be approved quickly in the House.   

Given the temporaty nature of this solution, there is still an urgent need for the NJ Congressional delegation to hear from Family Physicians and their patients about the need for a permanent fix to the SGR in order to ensure access to the highest quality, most cost-effective care for the most vulnerable Americans.