WASHINGTON, DC - House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Health Subcommittee Chairman Joe Pitts (R-PA) today issued the following statement regarding the 2016 Medicare Trustees Report. Read a summary of key findings from the report HERE.
“Seniors in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and all across this country rely on Medicare to survive. But the hard truth is this critical lifeline is on a path to disaster. It’s a problem we’ve been working to address in Congress, and this report reiterates many of our concerns about the longevity and ultimate sustainability of this program without further reform. Today’s report warns that Medicare could be insolvent as soon as 2022, after which there is no way for the program to pay its bills," said Upton and Pitts. “We continue to look toward bipartisan solutions that will ensure our children and grandchildren will be able to rely on Medicare when they are older. We owe it to seniors to #KeepThePromise. The clock is ticking, and as today’s report underscores, failing to act is not an option."
Under Speaker Paul Ryan’s Health Care Task Force, Republican leaders today released a plan for broad health care reforms. Among the issues included in the plan, is ensuring Medicare be put on a sustainable path.
Efforts by the Energy and Commerce Committee in the 114th Congress to Strengthen Medicare:
Legislative:
* H.R. 2, Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act, (Approved by the House on March 26, 2015; Approved by the Senate on April 14, 2015; Signed into law on April 16, 2015). Learn more HERE.
* H.R. 1190, Protecting Seniors’ Access to Medicare Act, (Approved by the House on June 23, 2015, by a vote of 244-154). Learn more HERE.
* H.R. 6, 21st Century Cures Act, (Approved by the House on July 10, 2015, by a vote of 344-77). Learn more HERE.
Hearings:
* Hearing to examine the integrity of Medicare and Medicaid programs. Learn more HERE.
* Hearing to examine patient-centered health care reforms. Learn more HERE.
* Hearing to examine the administration’s Medicare Part B drug experiment. Learn more HERE.
* Two hearings examining MACRA implementation. Learn more HERE and HERE.
* Hearing to examine the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ plan to update and strengthen the Medicare Part D Medication Therapy Management Program. Learn more HERE.
* Hearing to examine legislation to improve Medicare and Medicaid. Learn more HERE.
* Hearing to discuss Post-Acute reform. Learn more HERE.
* Hearing to discuss recommendations from the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General regarding the Medicare Part D program. Learn more HERE.
Oversight:
* Letter to the Acting Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on their proposed Part B Drug Payment Model. Learn more HERE.
* Letter to the Acting Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on proposed changes to Medicare Advantage, with the support of House Republican leadership. Learn more HERE.
* Letter to the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on proposed changes to Medicare Advantage. Learn more HERE.
