Issue Position: Medicare

Issue Position

Medicare Fraud - Medicare fraud is a crime that not only hurts senior citizens but law-abiding health care providers and all taxpayers. The historic health care reform legislation that I supported makes a ten-year, $350 million investment to prevent, detect, and fight fraud in Medicare, Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program. For example, the law makes it easier for the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate potential fraud or wrongdoing at facilities like nursing homes.

Physician Access for Medicare - The current Medicare formula for reimbursing physicians, the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR ) is fundamentally flawed. I have heard from many Hawaii health care providers and Medicare patients frustrated with the annual ritual of preventing major Medicare physician payment cuts. I have supported and will continue to support a permanent fix to the flawed SGR formula so that physicians and health care providers can continue to provide care to our Nation's seniors.

Source