Hatch Praised for Leadership in Passing CHRONIC Care Legislation

Press Release

Today, Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT), the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, was recognized for his leadership in creating and shepherding the Creating High-Quality Results and Outcomes Necessary to Improve Chronic (CHRONIC) Care Act into law at the Bipartisan Policy Committee (BPC) event "Bipartisan Leadership in Health Care: Chronic Care Implementation."

BPC President Jason Grumet presented Chairman Hatch with an award for his bipartisan success. Hatch spoke on the years-long legislative effort in the Finance Committee to help seniors in Medicare suffering from stroke, diabetes, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, heart disease, and other chronic illnesses.

"This bill was the culmination of a bipartisan, committee-wide effort to streamline care coordination services and improve healthcare outcomes for Medicare beneficiaries living with chronic conditions," said Hatch. "As more Americans with multiple chronic conditions age into the Medicare program, my colleagues and I wanted to ensure that Medicare would work for them."

The full remarks, as prepared for delivery, are below:

Thank you, Jason, for that kind introduction. And thank you to the Bipartisan Policy Center for arranging this event. Additionally, I want to express my sincere thanks to all of you for being here today to recognize a landmark piece of legislation that I was proud to co-author, the CHRONIC Care Act. With your steadfast support, we were able to include the CHRONIC Care Act in the Bipartisan Budget Act signed into law earlier this year.

This bill was the culmination of a bipartisan, committee-wide effort to streamline care coordination services and improve healthcare outcomes for Medicare beneficiaries living with chronic conditions. As more Americans with multiple chronic conditions age into the Medicare program, my colleagues and I wanted to ensure that Medicare would work for them.

I'd like to take a moment and say a special thank you to Ranking Member Wyden, who is here with me today. We have worked well together for a long time, addressing important issues. But, this bill was special. I was honored to work together with Senator Wyden to make a real difference in the lives of people living with chronic conditions. This bill is evidence that Congress can identify a problem and address it in a bipartisan manner.

The Administration is now implementing policies of the bill. And, I know that Administrator Verma is doing her best to ensure that beneficiaries get the improved outcomes that Congress intended. I commend her also for the agency's work to build off the reforms initiated by the bill by taking additional steps to focus on those with chronic conditions.

I would also like to thank Senators Isakson and Warner who dedicated so much of their own time and effort to bring this legislation to fruition. They will never know how much I appreciate it.

It is likely that this will be one of the last times that I will be addressing you as Chairman of the Finance Committee, and I can't think of a better legislative accomplishment to be celebrating near the end of my service than this one.

I'm so grateful to be here with you all. Please keep up the good work.

Thank you, and God bless.

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