Medicare pay cut averted for December

Congress voted in late November to halt a 23% payment cut that was to take effect this month to physicians who accept Medicare.

The reprieve expires at the end of December. Leaders in the Senate, which first passed the bill, and the House issued statements indicating that they hope to create supplemental legislation this month that would avoid Medicare physician payment cuts during 2011.

"The next step is moving onto finding a yearlong extension before this fix runs out," Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Montana) said in a statement issued with Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa).