Rep. Engel Marks Medicare/Medicaid Anniversary by Supporting SGR Reform Bill

Statement

Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY-16) released the following statement marking the 48th anniversary of the creation of Medicare and Medicaid. Rep. Engel is a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Health.

"It is imperative we protect this vital program and reject all attempts by the GOP Majority to privatize it or turn it into a voucher system. America's seniors depend on these programs - which have proven over almost 50 years to be a success. We cannot set up the programs to fail -- we must work together to find ways to strengthen them and make them viable for future generations.

"One way Democrats and Republicans have worked together is in support of H.R. 2810, the Medicare Patient Access and Quality Improvement Act, which would permanently fix the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) - the flawed formula used to pay Medicare physicians. This bill represents the good work which can be done when both sides come together. I am hopeful this will become a positive trend. We have a good framework to bring us closer to fairly compensating our Medicare physician workforce, and incentivizing good quality care for our Medicare beneficiaries. There is still much to do, but efforts such as these can bring us closer to our goal of maximizing the successes of our safety net, and ensuring its viability for decades to come.

"One thing we must cease immediately is the GOP Majority's unhealthy obsession with the Affordable Care Act, and the latest efforts to withhold funding. The Affordable Care Act contains several provisions to improve Medicare and strengthen its solvency. The Act extends the life of the Medicare Trust Fund by nearly a decade. It also has created significant savings for many seniors by providing discounts on their drugs for those in the Medicare Part D "donut hole' coverage gap and also providing free Medicare coverage for key preventive services. This is the law of the land, and I urge my colleagues to abandon divisive policies and work with Democrats to strengthen the health care law so that even more Americans will be able to take part in its provisions."

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