This week, the House and Senate passed the Protecting Medicare and American Farmers from Sequester Cuts Act (S. 610). This legislation would cancel or delay up to 6% in cuts to Medicare reimbursements that were scheduled to take place at the end of this year.
The newly passed bill will:
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Prevent a 4% statutory sequestration cut through 2022.
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Delay a 2% sequestration cut through March 31, 2022.
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Set the sequestration cut at 1% from April 1, 2022, through June 30, 2022.
So, the bill prevents a 4% cut to Medicare reimbursements in 2022. The scheduled additional 2% cut will be canceled from January 1 through March 31. Then it would be slowly phased in with a 1% cut from April 1 through June 30. The full 2% cut to Medicare reimbursement will come into effect on July 1, 2022.
President Biden is expected to sign the bill.
The IAFC will continue to work to ensure that fire and EMS departments are reimbursed completely for the assistance that they provide to Medicare and Medicaid patients.
Ken LaSala is the IAFC’s Director of Government Relations and Policy.