Brady outlines plan for improving Medicare quality, sustainability

Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX) today shared with attendees at the AHA Annual Membership Meeting his three-step plan for improving the quality of Medicare and making it sustainable in the long-term. The first big step, finding a smart way to reimburse physicians, was achieved with the recent passage of legislation to replace the physician sustainable growth rate payment formula, he said. The next step is reforming the way Medicare reimburses other providers, starting with hospitals. “And not the way Washington measures it, but by how the providers and patients measure it,” he said. Brady referenced his draft hospital reform bill, which addresses key issues such as the two-midnight policy and recovery audit contractors, and called for AHA’s continued input going forward to ensure its success. “We must do it right, thoughtfully, and deliberately,” said Brady. Finally, key to Medicare reform is offering more options and redesigning benefits for seniors in a way that rewards preventive care and discourages overuse, Brady said.