Per the APTA’s News Release on April 14, 2021: Congress Passes the Suspension of the Sequester Cut Through 2021.
The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved the relief, which is expected to be signed into law by President Biden in the coming days.
The 2% sequester reduction to payment under Medicare will be reinstated through the end of 2021, now that both chambers of Congress have agreed on a bill that extends a suspension of cuts that, until the pandemic, had been taking place since 2013.
The CARES Act of 2020 included a temporary suspension of the regular sequestration reduction, which amounted to a 2% boost to anticipated Medicare payment. Congress then extended the moratorium to March 31, 2021, with a Dec. 31, 2021, expiration date.
Once signed into law, the moratorium will be retroactive to April 1 to avoid a temporary return to the sequestration-related cuts. CMS has been holding claims with April dates of service in anticipation of the extension, and additional guidance is expected once the legislation becomes law. APTA will share developments from CMS as they happen.