Many have argued that the impact of Medicare cuts could encourage many to quit taking Medicare all together. This is an issue for EMR since most of the EMR stimulus is in the form of Medicare bonuses.
Well, we won’t have to worry about the Medicare cuts for at least another year it seems. Here’s the AP article announcing the change with an excerpt below:
The Senate approved a measure Wednesday to avoid a steep cut in Medicare pay for doctors by shifting some money from President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul law.
The deal by Senate leaders of both parties was approved by a voice vote and appeared headed for passage by the House, which would send the measure to Obama for his signature. The president had urged lawmakers to move quickly.“This agreement is an important step forward to stabilize Medicare,” Obama said in a statement.
When Democrats passed the health care law, they used Medicare cuts to pay much of the cost of providing insurance to millions who lack coverage. Now, lawmakers are reversing the money flow to stave off a scheduled 25 percent cut to doctors on Jan. 1, tapping financing for the health care overhaul to keep Medicare from breaking down.The $19 billion to pay doctors at current rates for another year will come mostly from tightening the rules on tax credits in the health care law to prevent waste.
