Washington, D.C. — Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, released the following statement on today’s Subcommittee on Health hearing on “MACRA and Alternative Payment Models: Developing Options for Value-based Care.”

“Today’s hearing was a key opportunity to assess the implementation of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA), particularly focusing on one of the two reimbursement avenues under the law – Alternative Payment Models (APMs). MACRA, which was passed two and a half years ago, was designed to put physicians – and patients – back at the center of medicine. It is critically important that MACRA succeeds, and I am glad the Energy and Commerce Committee remains dedicated to ensuring we get payment reform right.

“During today’s hearing, I was encouraged by the witnesses’ testimonies on the positive impact that MACRA has already had in their communities and the promise of delivering better care and driving greater savings for more providers. A recurring theme we also heard this morning was that physicians are best suited to provide the determinants of quality. It is clear that patients are counting on us – the doctors – and not federal agencies, to get this right.

“This hearing is just another step in the overall implementation and oversight process, and moving forward the subcommittee will continue to seek feedback on MACRA’s effectiveness. The days of the Sustainable Growth Rate are long gone, but I look forward to remaining engaged and working hard to ensure doctors have the freedom to provide their patients with the best medical care.”