“CHIP is a bipartisan program that works,” the organizations said. “Since its beginning 17 years ago, the program has worked together with Medicaid to cut the child uninsurance rate in half, offering timely access to high-quality, affordable health insurance.”
Enactment of H.R. 2 will allow physicians to focus more fully on patient care rather than face the threat of dramatic cuts that could make caring for Medicare patients unsustainable, according to Dr. Kim Allan Williams Sr., president of the American College of Cardiology.
“Instead of kicking the can down the road one more time, Speaker [John] Boehner and Leader [Nancy] Pelosi demonstrated strong bipartisan leadership to address this problem at last. We urge the Senate to follow suit and quickly take up and pass the provisions of the House measure,” Dr. Williams said in a statement.
President Obama has indicated that he will sign the bill, calling the replacement model a system that offers predictability and accelerates participation in alternative payment models that encourage quality and efficiency.
Dr. Kim Allan Williams Sr.
“The proposal would advance the administration’s goal of moving the nation’s health care delivery system toward one that achieves better care, smarter spending, and healthier people through the expansion of new health care payment models, which could contribute to slowing long-term health care cost growth,” Mr. Obama said in a March 25 statement.
The bill’s passage comes as the latest SGR patch is set to expire on March 31.
The Senate could take up the bill as early as March 27; however, it also could wait until mid-April after a 2-week recess. Without a permanent or temporary SGR fix, doctors can expect a 21% Medicare pay cut come April 1.
Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee have criticized H.R. 2, saying that it unfairly penalizes patients and does not reauthorize CHIP for long enough.
“Any legislation of this magnitude sent to the Senate must be balanced,” according to a joint statement signed by all 12 Democrats who serve on the Finance Committee. “Our current understanding of what the House is negotiating does not sufficiently pass that test....While our concerns vary, we are united by the necessity of extending CHIP funding for 4 years.”
But Finance Committee Chair Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) has called for swift passage of the bill.
“The time to act is now,” Sen. Hatch said in a March 25 speech on the Senate floor. “I can’t imagine another bipartisan opportunity like this coming around again anytime soon.”
On Twitter @legal_med