On March 3, Congress passed emergency legislation delaying the 21.2 percent reduction in Medicare reimbursement rates until April 1. Congress adjourned before April 1 without further delaying the reduction and Medicare has suspended claims processing pending Congress' return from adjournment.

Currently, TRICARE is continuing to process claims without applying the reimbursement reduction. When Medicare declares new reimbursement rates, TRICARE will take 30 to 60 days to change business systems to align, as required by law, with the new Medicare rates.