House Votes to Protect Seniors' Healthcare

Press Release

Today U.S. Representative Cynthia Lummis and a bi-partisan majority in the House voted 238-181 to pass H.R. 4015: the SGR Repeal and Medicare Provider Payment Modernization Act. The Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) is a flawed medicare formula that would have cut physician reimbursements. This bill repeals the SGR and replaces it with a phased dual payment system that rewards quality care. The bill also allows for more transparency on quality ratings and expenses for doctors. The transition to the new system is paid for with a five year delay to Obamacare's individual mandate.

"We voted today to protect seniors' access to quality healthcare and to do so in a fiscally responsible way," said Rep. Lummis. "This bill ends the Medicare cuts that have been looming on the horizon for years and would have amounted to a 25% pay cut to physicians who treat our seniors. That cut would make finding a doctor for seniors very difficult. Delaying the Obamacare individual mandate for five years pays for the transition and gives a realistic idea of the state of finances for the Medicare Trust Fund. I call on the senate to act on this bi-partisan, permanent fix to the SGR."

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