President Signs Committee Bill that Creates Efficiencies in Medicare and Saves Taxpayer Dollars

WASHINGTON, DC ? President Obama today signed into law the Strengthening Medicare and Repaying Taxpayers (SMART) Act. The bipartisan SMART Act, authored by Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Tim Murphy (R-PA) and Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI), creates efficiencies in the Medicare Secondary Payer program to speed up the process of returning money to the Medicare Trust Fund while reducing costly legal barriers for both large and small employers. The SMART Act, which was part of a larger legislative package (H.R. 1845) that was signed into law, was first approved by the Energy and Commerce Committee in September 2012.

?Four years ago, one of my constituents suffered severe injuries in a terrible car accident,? said Murphy. ?After coming to a settlement with the insurer, 73-year-old Lorraine Babich of Washington County was unable to get a straight answer from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services about the amount of her medical bills, which had to be repaid to the Medicare Trust Fund. As a result of unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles, Lorraine waited years to get the proper settlement due to her. Unfortunately, Lorraine?s heartbreaking story isn?t an isolated case because there are thousands of senior citizens just like her who continue to await settlements, see their Social Security checks garnished, and Medicare coverage denied through no fault of their own. With the SMART Act now signed into law, Lorraine and thousands of other senior citizens will no longer needlessly suffer due to bureaucratic red tape.?

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Source: http://energycommerce.house.gov/press-release/president-signs-committee-bill-creates-efficiencies-medicare-and-saves-taxpayer-dollars

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