The Senate voted 62-36 on Wednesday to delay the sustainable growth rate (SGR) cut to Medicare payments until Oct. 1. This means physicians will continue to get paid at current Medicare rates, but providers still face the cut in a few months.

The cut is set for April 1, but the American Workers, State, and Business Relief Act of 2010 (HR 4213) would delay the cut until the fall once signed into law. The bill has the following Medicare-related provisions:

• Extends the therapy cap exception to Dec. 31.
• Retroactively extends the GPCI work floor of 1.000 from when it expired on Dec. 31, 2009, to Dec. 31, 2010.
  
• Delays the SGR cut until Oct. 1

We'll have more on this bill's passage in the next issue of Part B News and at www.partbnews.com.