Wyden Applauds Senate Passage of Legislation Establishing a New and Permanent Payment Formula for Medicare Providers

Press Release

Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today praised the Senate's approval of legislation establishing a new and permanent payment system for Medicare physicians and providers and extending the Children's Health Insurance Program for two additional years.

"This is a significant and hard won achievement that will ensure better quality health care and certainty for millions of seniors and children," Wyden said after voting with 91 colleagues to approve H.R. 2, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015. The final vote was 92-8.

"By its actions today, the Senate -- in one fell swoop -- abolished Medicare's broken Sustainable Growth Rate payment formula and replaced it with a better and permanent system for paying physicians and providers," Wyden said. "And we provided health security to millions of vulnerable children by extending the Children's Health Insurance Program.

"This is a momentous day and fittingly it comes as we celebrate Medicare's 50th anniversary this year," Wyden said. "Along with others, I have worked for many years to put the flawed SGR in the junk bin of history and move to a system that rewards value and more coordinated, high quality care. Today -- finally -- we have reached that point; we are crossing the victory line and we all are better off."

Repealing SGR and replacing it with an updated and more durable payment system has been one of Wyden's legislative priorities. He was one of the architects of a bipartisan, bicameral proposal that served as the foundation for the legislation the Senate approved today. That bill passed the House March 26 by a 392-37 vote. The bill now goes to President Obama for his signature.

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