U.S. Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-NC) joined several colleagues on Thursday in signing H.R. 2, a bipartisan bill that will strengthen the Medicare system by guaranteeing that senior citizens always can get access to their physicians and saving taxpayers billions of dollars.
“I was proud to take part in a historic moment today in the U.S. Capitol that will undoubtedly have a lasting and beneficial impact for our nation’s seniors,” Ellmers said. “It was an honor joining House and Senate leaders as they signed this bipartisan legislation to permanently strengthen Medicare and end decades of temporary billion-dollar patches.”
The key element of the legislation, which now awaits President Obama’s signature, is the elimination of the Medicare Sustained Growth Rate (SGR) for determining access, which was replaced with a more-efficient, less-complex system.
“As a member of the House Doctors Caucus, (this achievement) was especially rewarding, as we have worked tirelessly over the years to craft a permanent solution to replacing Medicare’s flawed SGR formula. This legislation represents fiscal responsibility and certainty for seniors and the physicians who care for them, and I couldn’t be more proud of the teamwork that went into this. I look forward to this legislation making its way to the president’s desk and being signed into law.”