WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R.-W.Va.) voted for legislation yesterday to improve Medicare access for seniors and extend health insurance for children in West Virginia.
The bill, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, which passed on a 92-8 vote last night, permanently replaces the Medicare’s Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula, which has been patched 17 times since 2002, and ensures seniors in need of outpatient rehabilitation services have access to affordable care when they need it.
In addition to the Medicare reforms, this bill also includes several provisions that will benefit West Virginians. First, it extends both the State Children's Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP) and Secure Rural Schools (SRS) Program for another two years. The bill also provides funding for community health centers, which offer quality health care services for many West Virginians.
“Health care access is vitally important to West Virginians. Last night I voted to provide certainty to our seniors by creating a Medicare system that improves patient choice and increases access to health care. Without this SGR fix, physician reimbursements from the Medicare program would drop significantly, impacting the ability of physicians to accept Medicare patients and limiting senior citizens’ access to their doctors. For West Virginia’s children and rural communities, this bill provides critical funding for the bipartisan State Children's Health Insurance and Secure Rural Schools Programs.
“The new Republican-led Congress is back to work, finding solutions that move our country forward. I am pleased that the Senate followed the House to pass this bipartisan bill and take an important step toward broader entitlement reform,” said Senator Capito.
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