WASHINGTON — Today, Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Peter Roskam (R-IL) issued the following statement on the Department of Justice’s announcement that it would not move forward with a criminal-contempt prosecution of Lois Lerner, the former head of the IRS’s Exempt Organizations Division: "Today's announcement surprises no one. It has long been clear that this… Read more

WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives today voted to permanently fix the broken Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula. The bipartisan plan fixes the long-standing problem of how doctors get paid for treating the 53 million Americans who depend on Medicare. “Congress has averted a continuation of a national health-care crisis,” said Ways and Means Health Subcommittee… Read more

WASHINGTON — Upon passage of H.R. 2, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act, Ways and Means Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) issued the following statement: "This is a firm step toward patient-centered health care. After years of manufactured crises, this bill will give doctors the certainty they need and seniors the security they deserve. We have a lot more work to do to save… Read more

Washington Examiner op-ed   Medicare is going broke, but this week we have a chance to start fixing it. And we can do it—with bipartisan support—by repealing a clumsy payment system that has threatened seniors' access to care and vexed Congress for nearly two decades. Here's the problem: In 1997, Congress tried to put a lid on Medicare's costs by capping doctor payments with a… Read more

WASHINGTON — Today, Ways and Means Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) delivered the following opening statement during a markup of bills to reform the IRS and repeal the death tax. "So, we're marking up a lot of bills today. But the point we're trying to make here is this: The IRS works for the taxpayer, not the other way around. It's their job to make doing your taxes as easy as possible. And so… Read more

WASHINGTON — Upon passage of the House Republican budget for fiscal year 2016, Ways and Means Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) released the following statement: "This is a budget to be proud of. Our plan would balance the budget in eight years, help create jobs, and strengthen our national security—all without raising taxes. We also call for Congress to fix our tax code by making it simpler,… Read more

WASHINGTON — Bipartisan leaders of the House Energy and Commerce and House Ways and Means Committees today introduced H.R. 2, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act, to permanently replace Medicare’s Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR). The agreement builds upon H.R. 1470, the SGR Repeal and Medicare Provider Payment Modernization Act, bipartisan, bicameral legislation to… Read more

WASHINGTON — Today, Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Peter Roskam (R-IL) delivered the following opening statement during a hearing on the federal government’s use of data analysis—particularly the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Fraud Prevention System (FPS)—to identify emerging trends and stop Medicare fraud. "Welcome, everyone, to our second hearing. The… Read more

WASHINGTON — Today bipartisan leaders from the House Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce Committees released a working summary outlining the broader framework of an agreement being negotiated to permanently replace the broken Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula with a system that rewards quality, efficiency, and innovation. Committee leaders continue to make progress… Read more

WASHINGTON — Members of the House Energy and Commerce and House Ways and Means Health Subcommittees today sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Acting Administrator urging the administration to reverse course on its proposed changes to the popular and successful Medicare Advantage (MA) program. This letter echoes similar concerns outlined by bicameral… Read more