Pay freeze passes House yesterday, president expected to sign into law

House Passes Bill to Freeze Medicare Payments, Debates Medicaid Cuts

From Part B News:

The president will take up a bill shortly to freeze your Medicare payments at 2005 levels and allow CMS to reprocess your claims that were paid at the -4.5% reduced rate so far this year.

Despite a procedural challenge by Democrats, who called the bill an unfunded mandate, the budget bill passed the House 216 to 214 this afternoon, a one vote margin.

House members debated the bill, focusing on provisions that cut Medicare and Medicaid spending by about $13 billion over the next 5 years.

Republican leaders say it gives states' governors more flexibility in designing their Medicaid programs. Democrats say low-income beneficiaries will be harmed by the measure.