WASHINGTON, DC – Building upon the Energy and Commerce Committee’s bipartisan #RecordOfSuccess, the U.S. House of Representatives today approved H.R. 3716, the Ensuring Access to Quality Medicaid Providers Act, by a unanimous vote of 406-0. The bipartisan legislation, authored by Dr. Larry Bucshon (R-IN), strengthens Medicaid for the nation’s most vulnerable by expanding access to care and reducing fraud. The legislation also includes H.R. 3821, the Medicaid DOC Act, authored by committee member Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY). On Tuesday, the Obama Administration officially backed the bipartisan legislation.

H.R. 3716 offers two important solutions:

• Gets Rid of Bad Actors. The bill ensures that providers terminated from Medicare or a state Medicaid program for reasons of fraud, integrity, or quality, are terminated from all other state Medicaid programs.
• Increases Access. This legislation will help expand access beyond the emergency room. It provides beneficiaries under fee-for-service or primary care case management programs with a directory of physicians participating in the program.

Together, these provisions will bring savings to the federal government, as well as state Medicaid programs. Both H.R. 3716 and H.R. 3821 passed the Health Subcommittee and the full committee by voice vote last November.

“It is critical that fraudulent providers are not allowed to defraud taxpayers or harm patients across the board,” said Dr. Bucshon. “Medicaid beneficiaries are some of the most vulnerable patients, so I am glad this bipartisan bill will ensure they and the program are better protected.”

“In a day and age when consumers can use their phone to search for the nearest supermarket, it makes sense to ensure states are equipping patients with useful information to more easily find a doctor that accepts their Medicaid coverage,” said Collins. “By empowering patients, state Medicaid programs can help encourage better primary care, improve access, and help avoid needless and costly Emergency Room visits.”

“With nearly one in four Americans on Medicaid, this bipartisan bill delivers an important ‘one-two punch’ to strengthen the critical lifeline by eliminating fraud and increasing access by making it easier for folks to find a doctor. We’ve got Republicans, Democrats, and the White House all in lockstep supporting meaningful, 21st century reforms. Today’s strong bipartisan vote underscores that it’s possible to work together on Medicaid. Let’s keep the momentum going,” added full committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI).

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