Provisions
to provide extended funding for some healthcare programs were stripped
from a Senate jobs bill yesterday.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid indicated that the healthcare measures would be taken up at a later date.
The House voted out a $154 billion jobs package in December.
The
original proposal included a seven-month postponement in reductions in
Medicare reimbursement to doctors, a three-month extension in health
insurance subsidies for the newly unemployed, and one-year payment
extensions for a number of Medicare programs such as enhanced payment
for mental health services, Medicare Part B therapy caps, and ambulance
add-on payments.
Also dropped was an extension of
enhanced Medicaid payments to states that are facing severe budget
shortfalls.