President Signs Short Term Extension Bill; Negotiations Continue on Jobs Bill with FMAP

Congress this week concluded work on the Continuing Extension Act of 2010 (HR 4851), also referred to as the “extensions bill.” House passage came Thursday evening a few hours after the Senate passed an amended version of the bill, and the president signed it shortly after that.

In addition to extending expanded unemployment benefits through the end of May, the short-term legislation would extend COBRA health insurance subsidies for the unemployed and higher payments for physicians who treat Medicare patients. It also would extend a national flood insurance program and the use of 2009 poverty guidelines for federal programs.

The short-term extension package is designed to buy time for House and Senate negotiators to reach a deal on the American Workers, State and Business Relief Act of 2010 (HR 4213), which extends the unemployment benefits through the end of the year and the temporary FMAP increase originally passed as part of the Recovery Act through June 2011. ANCOR members are encouraged to call their members of Congress and encourage them to swiftly resolve the differences in HR 4213.