Kaptur Heralds Permanent “Doc Fix” for Ohio Working Families

New formula rewards quality of care instead of volume services

WASHINGTON—Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur praised approval of H.R. 2 last night in the Senate. This bill updates the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) and ensures doctors and other healthcare providers are paid fairly for services they deliver under Medicare. This legislation also supports several community and child health initiatives. The bill now goes to the President, who has indicated that he intends to sign it into law. Rep. Kaptur issued the follow statement in response:

“In 1997, Congress created the Sustainable Growth Rate, or SGR, to control healthcare costs by putting a cap on the rate that Medicare payments to doctors could go up. By 2003 America’s healthcare costs were outpacing that rate, leading to concerns that healthcare providers would stop serving Medicare patients. Every year since 2003, sometimes several times a year, Congress has passed stopgap bills to cover the difference and make sure doctors are paid fairly for services they provide under Medicare.

Last night my colleagues in the Senate passed House-approved legislation to fix this problem permanently. It does this in part by amending the Medicare payment system so that it rewards doctors and other healthcare providers for the quality of care, rather than the volume of care, that they deliver to their patients. This landmark legislation also extends important community health initiatives, providing health insurance to children in need through the Children’s Health Insurance Program and supporting community health centers and the National Health Service Corps.

This is great news for families across Northern Ohio that depend on Medicare to support an aging family member. It is welcome news for the healthcare industry, providing certainty to patients, doctors, hospitals and many others. It supports our region’s economy by helping ensure patients have access to preventative medicine.

After decades of quick fixes and legislative band-aids, I am pleased and proud to be part of this bipartisan achievement. The improvements we expect to see in our nation’s healthcare system will be felt by working families and communities throughout Northern Ohio, improving the quality, access and reliability of care patients receive and helping keep the social safety net intact for ourselves, our loved ones and our neighbors who need it most.”

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