PRESIDENT SIGNS THE MEDICARE, MEDICAID AND SCHIP EXTENSION ACT OF
2007 (S. 2499)


On Saturday, President Bush signed The Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP
Extension Act of 2007 (S. 2499).

Several provisions important to physical therapists and their
patients were in the final bill including:

Extension of the therapy cap exceptions process through June 30,
2008.
Increase in physician payment update; extension of the physician
quality reporting system. Replaces the scheduled 10.1% cut to the
Medicare physician reimbursement rate in 2008 with a 0.5% increase
through June 30, 2008.
Extension of the floor on work geographic adjustment. Extends for
six months the work geographic index (GPCI) floor of 1.0 through
June 30, 2008.
Payments for Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility (IRF) Services.
Permanently freezes the inpatient rehabilitation services compliance
threshold at 60%. Sets the market basket update factor at 0% from
April 1, 2008 through FY09.
Reauthorization of SCHIP to March 2009.