“While the debate over how people access quality and affordable health care in this country is ongoing, today marks a step towards strengthening the future of Medicare reform, and a step towards helping people in Eastern Washington access care.”

WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) released the following statement today after the House passed H.R. 2, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015.

“People across Eastern Washington elected me to lead – to put their best interests first, and to advocate for them in every way I can. After 17 short-term patches to the Sustainable Growth Rate in the past 11 years, today, in a bipartisan fashion, we governed.  We eliminated this flawed formula and worked together to create a better health care system. A system that provides certainty for Eastern Washington seniors, children, and low-income families, and a system that saves taxpayer dollars while improving care. These broad, patient-centered reforms are a testament to the work we can do for the American people – the men and women who make this country great.

“In this spirit, as a proud member of the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee, I look forward to continuing my efforts to advance 21^st Century Cures – legislation which will further medical innovation and accelerate the discovery of cures. While the debate over how people access quality and affordable health care in this country is ongoing, today marks a step towards strengthening the future of Medicare reform, and a step towards helping people in Eastern Washington access care.”

The legislation moves the way Medicare pays doctors towards a system which rewards value and patient outcomes over quantity, and it returns stability to physician payments by extending all of the extenders included in the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014 in addition to funding Community Health Centers through 2017. The legislation also makes modifications to the Medicare’s competitive bidding program for durable medical equipment, and strengthens Medicare’s ability to fight fraud.

H.R. 2 strengthens the future of Medicare by adjusting  how premiums are calculated in Parts B and D and making reforms to the rules which regulate Medigap, a type of Medicare supplemental insurance.