ACS Declares Victory after Milestone U.S. Senate Vote Repealing Broken SGR Formula

Newswise — CHICAGO (April 15, 2015): The American College of Surgeons (ACS) gratefully acknowledges the U.S. Senate’s landslide 92-8 vote Tuesday to stabilize the Medicare program. By following the U.S. House’s lead and passing H.R. 2, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, the Senate action ushers in much-needed Medicare reforms. Especially noteworthy is the repeal of the fundamentally flawed sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula. Repeal of the problematic formula has been a leading legislative priority of the College for more than a decade.
“The reforms set in place by Tuesday’s historic Senate passage of H.R. 2 offers peace of mind to America’s seniors, whose access to medical care through the Medicare program has been threatened for more than 10 years,” said David B. Hoyt, MD, FACS, Executive Director of the American College of Surgeons. “The American College of Surgeons celebrates Congress’ bipartisan action making passage of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act possible. The College is committed to working with policymakers to further develop policies authorized in the legislation that stress quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries.”
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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.