Medicare Bill Faces Presidential Veto Following Senate Passage

The White House confirmed Thursday that President Bush intends to veto the Medicare Improvements for Providers and Patients Act (HR 6331) a day after the US Senate voted 69 to 30 to pass the legislation reversing the 10.6% cut in Medicare payments and restoring the therapy cap exceptions process. The President's rejection of the bill will require congressional leaders to prove that they can maintain the two-thirds majorities required to override the veto in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. The House voted 355 to 59 to pass HR 6331 on June 26.

While physical therapists and patients await action on the presidential veto and votes to override it, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) continues to hold up processing of claims for services provided on or after July 1. The latest information on the status of the legislation and on CMS enforcement activities is available on APTA's Take Action and Medicare Updates Web pages.