American College of Surgeons Hails U.S. House Passage of Medicare Access Bill

Newswise — CHICAGO (March 26, 2015): The American College of Surgeons (ACS) is optimistic that much-needed Medicare program reforms are within reach following today’s vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on H.R. 2, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015. ACS congratulates representatives for working together to develop a bill that implements meaningful reforms to the Medicare program, including permanent repeal of the broken sustainable growth rate formula (SGR) used to calculate physician reimbursement.
“The American College of Surgeons commends the U.S. House of Representatives for their pivotal vote today passing the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act,” said David B. Hoyt, MD, FACS, Executive Director of the American College of Surgeons. “Speaker Boehner and Minority Leader Pelosi have demonstrated admirable leadership in working across the aisle to usher through legislation that ensures seniors have uninterrupted access to the medical care they need. The College calls on the U.S. Senate to follow the House example and pass the bipartisan Medicare reform bill before adjourning for its two-week break.”
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About the American College of SurgeonsThe American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and improve the quality of care for surgical patients. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has more than 80,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world. For more information, visit www.facs.org.