Congress adjourns after passing temporary funding

Congress returned to Washington, D.C., last month from its summer recess and adjourned less than three weeks after passing a continuing resolution (CR) to extend government funding beyond Sept. 30, when the current fiscal year ended. The CR maintains federal operations at current fiscal year levels through Dec. 20. It provides more time to negotiate funding levels and allows members to return home to campaign ahead of the November elections. Congress will return for a post-election lame-duck session to finalize funding for FY 2025 as well as to possibly address several other time-sensitive items before the holidays. Two of those issues include an extension of Medicare telehealth flexibilities, first implemented during the pandemic, as well as the impending Medicare physician payment cuts set to take effect on Jan. 1.