​February 16, 2012
Late on Wednesday, February 15, Congressional negotiators reached a conference agreement on an extenders package that would provide a patch for the SGR and halt Medicare payment cuts through 2012. Among other extensions included in the agreement are Medicare therapy caps. The full report of the compromise has yet to be released, but preliminary reports indicate that the extenders package will be offset by cuts to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's (PPACA) prevention of chronic diseases program, Medicaid bad debt payments, and Medicaid spending for hospitals that treat a disproportionate share of low-income patients. Early reports detailed offsets that may trim certain Medicare payments to clinical labs, skilled nursing facilities and hospitals, however, the most recent reports remain silent on this provision.
The Academy is monitoring the situation closely and will alert members when a final report is available.