We are here today to assess the impact of the Medicare Durable Medical Equipment competitive bidding program. Our intent is to understand the program’s impact on beneficiaries, suppliers, and Medicare expenditures, and the implications for program expansion. Congress mandated the use of competitive bidding to establish payment rates for high cost and high volume DME in the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003. Congress took this action in response to evidence that Medicare fee schedule payment rat... Read more

This week, the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions highlighted an analysis conducted by the group last fall which found that up to 65 million Americans could lose their employer-sponsored health insurance because of ObamaCare's employer mandate requirement. The analysis noted that while employers of every size are affected, small- and mid-sized companies are the most likely to exit. The Deloitte data reinforces findings from a staff report prepared for Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Cam... Read more

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Washington, DC – Today, in a new report prepared for Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI), data from America’s Fortune 100 companies show they could save hundreds of millions of dollars a year under the new health care law by simply terminating health insurance for their workers and dumping these employees into taxpayer-funded health care exchanges. More than 70 percent of America’s Fortune 100 companies detailed their health care costs... Read more

House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Chairman Wally Herger (R-CA) today announced that the Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing to examine proposals to reform Medicare through a premium support model. The hearing will take place on Friday, April 27, 2012, in 1100 Longworth House Office Building, beginning at 9:00 A.M. In view of the limited time available to hear from witnesses, oral testimony at this hearing will be from invited witnesses only. However, any individual or organization... Read more

We are meeting today to examine proposals to reform Medicare through Premium Support and the bipartisan support for such proposals. First, I think we should make it abundantly clear, that despite what some on the other side might say, Republicans support the Medicare program. The program serves a critical function in our society, ensuring that America’s seniors and people with disabilities have health care coverage. Unfortunately, the program faces significant financial challenges and is slated ... Read more

If you listen to any of the Democrat attacks on Medicare Premium Support, you may think that the idea was a partisan plan crafted behind closed doors. But when you look at the true history behind Premium Support, the facts reveal long-standing bipartisan support for this plan to save Medicare. 1993 – Alain Enthoven the “father of managed competition” and former health care consultant to President Jimmy Carter, publishes The History of Principles of Managed Competition, which outlined the concept... Read more

Washington, DC – Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI), Health Subcommittee Chairman Wally Herger (R-CA) and Social Security Subcommittee Chairman Sam Johnson (R-TX) made the following statement after the release of the Social Security and Medicare Trustees Reports. “Today's reports make it clearer than ever that doing nothing is not an option. Republicans have been focused on finding solutions to the serious challenges facing our nation. However, the Administration has failed to lead, and Co... Read more

Good morning. Today, we will separately consider three measures to meet our reconciliation instructions in the House-passed budget, which asks committees such as this to find a smarter way to reduce our debt and deficits, which are costing us jobs. The gentleman from California, Mr. Becerra, will remember that during the Bowles-Simpson commission, we heard non-partisan testimony that debts as large as ours slow economic growth by about one percent, which in America translates into about one mill... Read more

Washington, DC- Today, Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) made the following statement after the Committee approved Budget Reconciliation Legislative Recommendations of the Ways and Means Committee: “It has long been acknowledged, including by the President’s own Deficit Commission, that our debt levels are crippling economic growth and preventing job creation. Republicans made a commitment to the American people to reform Washington to strengthen our economy, create jobs and get our fisca... Read more

A recent survey shows that physicians under the age of 40 are pessimistic about the future of the U.S. health care system, citing the Democrats’ health care law as the main reason why. One respondent noted that the Democrats’ law could jeopardize patients’ access to care saying, “There will be an increased shortage of physicians to provide primary care and decreased access to care.” The survey, commissioned by the Physicians Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes the work of practic... Read more