If Congress has difficulty passing a budget bill under normal circumstances (20 of the last 23 have been late), it's safe to assume that the debate on FY 2010 could still be raging when the cherry blossoms start popping up in DC next March. Still, legislation signed yesterday by President Obama now guarantees that at least the Department of Veteran Affairs will receive their healthcare funding on time. The Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act (S. 423) authorizes Congress to approve veterans medical care funding one year in advance. Article [1]
Links:
[1] http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Daily-Reports/2009/October/22/Vet-Bill.aspx