On Monday Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) filed a motion for cloture on the extenders bill, which would reverse the 21-percent Medicare physician payment cut that took effect for services provided on and after June 1. Today, the Senate is expected to vote on a series of amendments prior to the motion to end debate on the bill, setting it up for a possible final floor vote by the end of the week.
To avoid disruption in the delivery of health care services to beneficiaries and payment of claims for physicians, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is directing its contractors to continue holding all claims with dates of service of June 1, 2010, and later, through Thursday, June 17. CMS is scheduled to lift the hold on Friday, June 18.