Portman calls for long-term Medicare funding fix

Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) opposed a temporary delay of cuts in Medicare payment to physicians on Tuesday and called for a long-term solution to fix Medicare’s sustainable growth rate.

Portman, a member of the Senate Finance Committee, cosponsored bipartisan legislation last year that would create a Medicare Better Health Rewards program. The voluntary program would motivate Medicare beneficiaries to get and stay healthy by offering financial incentives.

The incentives would be funded entirely from savings that result from healthier seniors requiring less healthcare.

“We cannot continue to kick the can down the road on something as important as reimbursements that affect access to care for Medicare beneficiaries,” Portman said. “Medicare is a critically important program that millions of Americans rely on, and that’s why I support a permanent, paid for solution for SGR that improves the payment model to enhance quality of care. That is why I voted in the Finance Committee for a permanent solution that included important reforms to focus on outcomes rather than volume. Such an approach improves quality of care and gives patients and doctors the certainty they need and deserve.”

The three-year Medicare Better Health Rewards program would use annual wellness visits that Medicare already pays for to measure patient improvements in health, including tobacco usage, body mass index, diabetes indicators, blood pressure, cholesterol and up-to-date vaccinations and screenings.

“By changing the focus of Medicare from dealing with people when they’re sick to incentivizing seniors to lead healthier lives, our Better Health Rewards bill will reduce Medicare’s soaring costs and save taxpayers’ money since healthier seniors who voluntarily opt-into the program will have fewer doctor and hospital visits and fewer chronic diseases…,” Portman said.