The AP (5/21, Ohlemacher) reports, "Lawmakers have agreed on legislation to extend expanded jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed through the end of the year. Laid-off workers would also continue to get subsidies to buy health insurance through the COBRA program." The measure "would be paid for, in part, by tax increases on investment managers and some US-based multinational companies." The AP explains that "lawmakers had been negotiating a provision that would spare doctors from a scheduled 21 percent cut in Medicare payments. They agreed to delay the cuts until 2014, when they will have to address the issue again." The AP notes, "The House could vote on the bill as early as Friday, with the Senate voting next week."

        The Hill (5/21, Pecquet) notes, "Without the change, payments to doctors under Medicare were scheduled to receive a 21.3 percent cut in June. Under the deal crafted by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Sandy Levin (D-MI) and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT), the payment will increase by 1.3 percent through the end of the year." Doctors "would get an additional 1 percent increase in 2011, and further increases would be offered in 2012 and 2013 based on the growth in Medicare health spending."

        Kaiser Health News (5/20, Villegas) added that the "tax 'extender' bill -- with a price tag of $220 billion -- extends a number of popular tax cuts and funds small business loan programs. It would preserve special federal Medicaid payments to states and provide extra unemployment payments, among other things."

        AMA, Other Medical Groups "Grudgingly" Accept House Provision For Medicare Physician Payment Fix. Roll Call (5/21, Roth) reports, "The American Medical Association is grudgingly accepting a plan by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Congressional Democratic leadership to roll back scheduled cuts in physician Medicare payments through 2013. The AMA, the nation's largest doctors group, had adamantly opposed the temporary fix and lobbied lawmakers to find a permanent solution to the reimbursement problem." On Thursday, however, "the Democrats made it clear they would only go along with the short-term patch, which is to be included in a larger package of tax extenders that the House is expected to vote on next week."

        Similarly, CQ Today (5/21, Ethridge) reports, "Physician groups are grudgingly accepting a plan to block scheduled cuts in Medicare payments through 2013 as part of a wide-ranging legislative package unveiled by House and Senate tax writers Thursday." CQ adds that the AMA "said the proposed solution would kick the problem down the road while providing only temporary stability."

        Politico (5/21, Haberkorn) explains, "During the reform debate, physician lobbies including the American Medical Association, wanted a full overhaul of the formula, called the sustainable growth rate, but agreed to back reform after Democrats said they would address it later." Nevertheless, the AMA "said it's 'deeply disappointed' the formula wasn't replaced with one that isn't tied to GDP, arguing that the short-term repair only treats the symptoms without curing the disease." AMA president J. James Rohack, MD, said, "Lawmakers must realize that the underlying policy problem will return larger than ever in 2014. ... Future Medicare cuts will severely undermine health system reform initiatives that aim to optimize the quality of patient care as physicians find they cannot afford to participate in Medicare."

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