Congresswoman Renee Ellmers (R-NC-02) released the following statement this afternoon after voting for H.R. 4015 - "The SGR Repeal and Medicare Provider Payment Modernization Act."

"This morning I was proud to vote for legislation that will repeal and replace Medicare's flawed Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR). For the first time since 1997, we have a bicameral, bipartisan solution to the challenges posed by the SGR. For far too long we have passed temporary patches, leaving Medicare patients to fear the loss of their doctors and providers. By passing this bill, we are providing a long-overdue solution for Medicare's payment system, while also replacing it with a system that focuses on quality, value, and accountability."

"I've heard from numerous doctors and health care professionals in my district who tell me that they cannot provide adequate care to their patients because of the uncertainty and flaws in the current SGR formula. I look forward to seeing this bill move quickly through the Senate so that it can be signed into law."

This morning, Congresswoman Renee Ellmers voted for H.R. 4015 - "The SGR Repeal and Medicare Provider Payment Modernization Act." The sustainable growth rate is a formula that was enacted in 1997 to control physician spending under Medicare. However, the SGR policy flaws have compelled Congress to override the formula driven cuts for more than a decade. In fact, since 2003, Congress has spent nearly $150 billion in short-term patches. On March 31, 2014, the most recent three month patch included in the Bipartisan Budget Act will expire. As a result, physicians will see approximately 24 percent cut from reimbursement rates if left unaddressed.

H.R. 4015 repeals the current sustainable growth rate formula and replaces it with a permanent solution to address physician payments in the Medicare program. Specifically, the bill maintains the current 0.5 percent increase through the remainder of 2014 and continues the reimbursement rate from 2015 through 2018. Beginning in 2019, the payment levels would remain at current levels through 2023. Adjustments to the reimbursement rates between 2019 and 2023 may be made in one of two ways – through the merit incentive payment system (MIPS) or an Alternative Payment Model (APM).