Statement by Healthcare Leadership Council President Mary R. Grealy on the 2013 Medicare Trustees Report

Report “does not diminish the imperative to strengthen the Medicare program.” 

The improved financial outlook for the Medicare program is good news and reflects, in large part, successful innovations in the private sector to constrain healthcare costs while improving the quality of care delivery and patient outcomes.

This Trustees Report does not, however, diminish the imperative to strengthen the Medicare program.  The core message from the trustees is that Medicare’s financial future remains in jeopardy and structural reform is essential.  With the retiree population rapidly increasing and the ratio of taxpaying workers to beneficiaries continuing to decline, it cannot be argued that the status quo is sustainable.

Policies that would arbitrarily cut payments for Medicare goods and services will only reduce patient access and undermine quality and innovation.  Congress needs to move forward with improvements that drive greater value and cost containment by investing Medicare beneficiaries with greater powers of consumer choice.