Press Releases

Congressman Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (GA-01) today voted in support of H.R. 2, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, to strengthen Medicare and replace the broken Medicare payment system which has repeatedly threatened seniors’ access to care. The legislation would permanently replace the Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula which was intended to control costs for Medicare but has done nothing to improve the program’s solvency.

“The current Medicare payment system has threatened seniors’ access to quality healthcare for too long and they deserve a permanent solution, not just another band aid increasing the problem,” Carter said. “Huge cuts looming over reimbursements for seniors’ care will continue to drive doctors away from participating in Medicare, leaving seniors with the frightening uncertainty of whether their doctors will still be available to them.”

“The legislation I supported today creates a permanent solution for the Medicare program that is reliable, patient-centered and rewarding of doctors who provide quality health care rather than those who focus on quantity. H.R. 2 is the right step in a long fight to strengthen Medicare for current beneficiaries and preserve it for generations to come.”

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) found that H.R. 2 will save taxpayers money compared to the current pattern of the program. CBO estimates that “enacting the legislation would cost $0.9 billion less over the 2015-2025 period than freezing payment rates for physicians’ services” and that savings will continue to rise.