UPDATE: House Passes Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007 (S.2499) in a 411-3 vote,  On December 18, 2007, the U.S. Senate passed the Act by unanimous consent.  The Act contains a number of Medicare provisions, including a provision that would prevent the 10.1 percent cut to Medicare physician payments beginning January 1, 2008, and instead gives physicians a 6-month 0.5 percent increase through June 30, 2008.