U.S. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) praised his House colleagues last week in passing H.R. 2, which retools the Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula. The bipartisan agreement provides a fix for the problematic issue of how doctors receive compensation for treating Medicare patients.
“This bipartisan legislation strengthens Medicare and provides stability for seniors and their doctors,” Frelinghuysen said. “The legislation moves beyond the SGR to a better system that ensures that our seniors have access to their doctors and the high-quality care they deserve.”
The bill was applauded for providing the first real structural entitlement reform in almost 20 years, and doing so without any increase in taxes. Republicans have worked for such a measure for many years, but this is the first time Democrats have signed on without demanding a bump in taxes to offset it.
“Fixing SGR has been a goal of doctors, patients and their families for a long time,” Frelinghuysen said. “After today’s vote, the Senate and the White House have a tremendous opportunity to finish the job, and in the process, strengthen Medicare. With these structural reforms, H.R. 2 reduces the deficit over the long term. Looking 20, 30 and 40 years down the road, these reforms will produce hundreds of billions in durable savings for taxpayers.”