House votes to disagree with Senate extender legislation
The House of Representatives voted to "disagree" with Senate passed legislation aimed at extending vital Medicare extenders, including many rural relevant provisions. In a 229-193 vote, the House asked for an official conference to reconcile the differences between the Senate measure and a bill passed by the House that failed to include a number of rural provisions. The House bill also included a number of offsets or "pay-fors" that would harm rural providers and facilities. The Senate has adjourned for the calendar year. The House is expected to return to their districts and adjourn for the year around 4 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday. A final compromise on expiring tax, Medicare and other provisions is not expected to occur before the new year. NRHA will continue to advocate for the inclusion of all expiring rural provisions and insist that payment gaps caused by temporary expiration be avoided. Please continue to monitor this blog and NRHA’s congressional action kit for a full list of expiring provisions, updates and developments.