Bilirakis Votes to Preserve Medicare and Fully Repeal the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) Formula
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), member of the Energy and Commerce Committee's Health Subcommittee, today vote in favor of H.R. 2, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA), to repeal and replace the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula. The bill was passed by a vote of 392 to 37. The bill will replace the SGR with a Merit-Based Incentive Payment System – MIPS – which will pay doctors based on quality, not volume.
"Paying doctors based on quality incentivizes physicians to be as efficient and effective as possible in keeping their patients as healthy as they can be. Healthier people utilize less health care services, which means lower costs. This bill will save money in the long run," said Bilirakis.
"Now, we can move past the annual SGR cliff, onto steadier ground. A vote for this bill is pro-senior, pro-physician, pro-patient, and pro-good government. I am proud to join a group of bipartisan members of the House to make positive changes to Medicare that will help ensure the longevity of the program and the health of seniors in the 12th District, in Florida, and across the nation."
The American Action Forum estimates in 10 years, SGR repeal will save $65 billion. Then, an additional $230 billion reduction in spending would be realized by 2035, for a total of $295 billion in 20 years. Bilirakis has supported repealing and replacing the SGR with patient and physician-centered solutions that will provide seniors with quality care and protect doctors from looming cuts year after year.
Click here to watch the entirety of Congressman Bilirakis' remarks.