Baldwin Healthcare Data Provision Included in Medicare Payment Modernization Bill

Press Release

U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin applauded the Senate's bipartisan passage of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (H.R. 2) by a vote of 92-8, which repeals Medicare's Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula and modernizes Medicare payments to incentivize high-quality, low-cost care for seniors across the country. The legislation also includes the critical reforms called for in Baldwin's bipartisan Quality Data, Quality Healthcare Act, which would increase the transparency of healthcare costs in Medicare--helping doctors, health systems, private insurers and research institutions provide more efficient, higher quality healthcare and better patient outcomes. Baldwin introduced the legislation with South Dakota Republican Senator John Thune last month.

"Medicare is the single largest payer of healthcare services in the country, spending over $600 billion each year. But we know very little about what we are paying for," said Baldwin. "I'm proud the Senate has overwhelmingly voted in favor of reforms that were modeled after my Quality Data, Quality Healthcare Act that will provide access to that Medicare data and put it into the hands of those who can best use it, helping doctors make more informed decisions and improving how we deliver healthcare."

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