Congress Passes One Month ‘Doc Fix’ While Lawmakers Seek Longer Term Solution For Medicare Payments
News coverage continues to track recent congressional action on Medicare payments and fees.
Kaiser Health News examines Medicare payment issues in the webcast Health on the Hill with host Jackie Judd saying: "For the fourth time this year, Congress has passed the so-called 'doc fix' to prevent a deep cut in payments made to doctors treating Medicare patients."
The fix is for one month but some people want a longer solution. KHN's Mary Agnes Carey says: "There will be a lot of focus on how to finance a 12-month fix of the doc fix, which is about $17 billion. So, once again it's the battle over the offsets. Both sides want to do this. President Obama supports the longer term fix, but whether or not they will be able to get a 12-month patch is completely unclear" (11/30).
Nurse.com: "The Coalition to Protect Senior Care, a national coalition of frontline, long-term caregivers, has urged Congress to repeal a delay in the implementation of a new Medicare payment system for the nation's nursing homes. The CPSC stated that delaying implementation will add to the economic instability that already affects skilled nursing facilities throughout the country. As a result, according to a news release, the facilities may have a harder time ensuring adequate staffing and continuous access to quality care for seniors" (12/1).