Source: iHealthBeat

This week, the Senate passed a jobs bill (HR 4213) that includes a provision designed to make it easier for certain hospital-based physicians to receive incentive payments for the "meaningful use" of electronic health records.

Currently, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 excludes all hospital-based physicians from eligibility for the EHR incentive payments.  Section 219 of the Senate jobs bill would amend language in ARRA to exclude only those hospital-based physicians that provide services in a hospital inpatient or emergency department setting.

The change would permit hospital-based physicians who provide services at hospital outpatient facilities to receive the incentive payments.

Source: OSN Super Site

The U.S. Senate bill passed on Wednesday, by a vote of 62 to 36, would delay a planned 21% cut in Medicare physician payments until Sept. 30. The bill moves to the House for further discussion.

On March 2, the Senate passed a separate bill that delayed the payment cut until March 31.

H.R. 4213, the Tax Extenders Act of 2009, is designed to provide tax relief and stimulate job growth, according to a bill summary.

The physician payment cut stems from the sustainable growth rate (SGR), a key factor in annual Medicare physician payment updates. Congress has repeatedly intervened to stall Medicare physician payment cuts in recent years.

"The American Medical Association, American Academy of Ophthalmology and the rest of medicine continues to condemn short-term fixes calling for long-term stability in the Medicare program for physicians and their patients," Catherine Cohen, AAO vice president for governmental affairs, said. "We need a long-term solution now to preserve access to health care for Medicare patients. Short-term fixes increase the size of the cuts and the cost of reform."

In November, the House passed a bill that would permanently repeal and replace the SGR.