PT Bulletin Online
November 25, 2003 Medicare Bill Awaits President's Signature after Senate Passage Legislation once again blocking enforcement of the $1,590 Medicare therapy cap, as well as creating a prescription drug benefit and addressing other critical issues for physical therapists and their patients, cleared its final hurdle on Capitol Hill Tuesday morning with the Senate's 54 to 44 approval of the $395 billion Medicare Prescription Drug and Improvement Act (HR1). President Bush is expected to sign the bill into law as soon as Congress officially transmits it to the White House in the next few days. The Senate's action followed the narrow 220 to 215 adoption of the bill in the House shortly before dawn Saturday morning. Once signed into law, the bill will immediately restore a moratorium on the therapy cap through 2005. It also will prevent a scheduled 4.5% cut in payments to physical therapists and other providers January 1, 2004; instead providing a 1.5% payment increase in 2004 and 2005. In place of a proposed 3-year demonstration project, Senate and House negotiators included a provision in the final agreement requiring the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) to provide an assessment by the end of next year on the feasibility of providing Medicare beneficiaries with direct access to physical therapists. "This legislation is a major step toward addressing the critical issues for physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and their patients," said APTA President Ben F Massey, Jr, PT, MA. "While I wish some aspects of the bill had been stronger, I'm very pleased that Congress heard our voice and took action to lift the therapy cap, prevent severe payment reductions, and move closer to providing direct access to physical therapists for Medicare beneficiaries." To view APTA's summary of provisions included that impact physical therapy, go to www.apta.org/documents/public/govtaffairs/conferencereportsummary.pdf. David A. Lehman, PhD, PT Associate Professor Tennessee State University Department of Physical Therapy 3500 John A. Merritt Blvd. Nashville, TN 37209 615-963-5946 [EMAIL PROTECTED] -----Original Message----- From: Ron Carson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, November 25, 2003 12:53 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [OTnow] Fwd: [ot_treatment] FW: Senate Passage Just passing along information. I can't vouch for it's accuracy! Ron ----- This is a forwarded message From: Jimmie Arceneaux <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Tuesday, November 25, 2003 Subject: [ot_treatment] FW: Senate Passage =================Original message text=============== -----Original Message----- Up to the minute news from the National Association of Rehabilitation Providers and Agencies Senate Passes Medicare Bill By a vote of 54 to 44, the U.S. Senate just passed the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003. The House had passed the conference report just before dawn on Saturday. The legislation will now go to the President for his signature. The details of the signing ceremony are not yet known. The legislation includes a two year moratorium on the therapy caps, a 1.5% increase in the physician fee schedule, and numerous regulatory reforms of benefit to small providers. These are major victories for rehabilitation providers and their patients. Happy Thanksgiving! Regards, George George G. Olsen, Esq. Williams & Jensen, P.C. 1155 21st Street, NW Suite 300 Washington, DC 20036 Phone: 202-659-8201 Fax: 202-659-5249 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.williamsandjensen.com __________________________________________ CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: If you have received this e-mail in error, please immediately notify the sender by e-mail at the address shown. This e-mail transmission may contain confidential information. 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