Although Congress is scheduled to reconvene Sept. 10, don’t expect any immediate clarity about plans for dodging sequestration – which would clip Medicare provider reimbursement 2% in 2013.

The only Medicare element on the agenda is possible relief from the steep drop in physician payments scheduled for Jan. 1, 2013, the newsletter CQ HealthBeat reports. There might be other provider payment adjustments as well, but that list doesn’t include home health agencies.

The immediate congressional agenda is largely focused on an extension of fiscal 2013 spending authority, which is due prior to Oct. 1. A continuing resolution extending federal agency and program spending into next year is not expected to include many special provisionsCQ HealthBeat reports.

Once the November elections are over, though, lawmakers will face a series of decisions on extensions of various tax breaks along with a possible effort to postpone an automatic sequestration of discretionary spending. One fear previously expressed by the National Association for Home Care & Hospice is that lawmakers will offset any breaks for others with a reimbursement cut for home health in 2013 atop the 2% sequestration cut.