January 24, 2003

By a vote of 69-29, the Senate last night approved the FY2003 omnibus spending bill, containing the expected provision that would eliminate the 3.43-per cent cut in the Medicare anesthesia CF scheduled to take effect March 1.

The bill maintains the CF at the 2002 level until September 30, by which time comprehensive Medicare reform legislation is projected to pass. The bill must now go to conference with the House, and although this conference is expected to be contentious on a host of issues, physicians now have reason to be cautiously optimistic that the projected March 1 reimbursement cut will not occur.

As soon as we are able to determine which Senators voted in favor of the bill, we will post an Alert on this page asking members to communicate their thanks to those Senators for approving the measure.

James E. Cottrell, M.D., President