Reichert, Ways and Means Approve Legislation to Make Medicare Simpler

Washington, D.C. – Today, the Protecting the Integrity of Medicare Act (PIMA) of 2015 was passed out of the House Ways and Means Committee, including H.R. 943 – the Medicare Employer Relief Act – authored by U.S. Congressman Dave Reichert (R-WA) and John Lewis (D-GA).

The Medicare Employer Relief Act would eliminate the IRS/SSA/CMS Data Match project (ISCDM) which was replaced by the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007. Under current law, ISCDM forces employers to provide information to CMS that they already have, forcing them to waste time and money to fulfill duplicative requirements.  By eliminating this unnecessary statute, the Medicare Employer Relief Act will make employer-sponsored health insurance simpler and more accessible.

“This is a common-sense fix to reduce unnecessary paperwork and make it simpler for employers to offer health insurance for countless Americans,” said Rep. Reichert.  “I was honored to join Congressman Lewis in sponsoring this legislation that will save the federal government and American businesses both time and money by repealing an outdated provision of law that has since been replaced. I am happy to see it included as part of the broader PIMA package that passed out committee today and I look forward to seeing it come to the floor for a full House vote.”

To read more about the larger legislative package, PIMA, click here.