For the City-Times

Wisconsin Congressmen Ron Kind and Paul Ryan introduced bipartisan legislation to expand access to Medicare data for qualified entities, which are authorized to compile and analyze such data. As members of the House Ways and Means Committee, Reps. Kind and Ryan are working together on H.R. 4118, the Expanding the Availability of Medicare Data Act, to ensure health care providers have the information necessary to improve the quality of care.

“Health care providers in Wisconsin have been leading the effort to improve the quality of care that they offer, while lowering costs for consumers,” said Rep. Kind.  “This commonsense bill will ensure that these providers can access the medical data they need to deliver the best health care outcomes for Wisconsin patients.”

“If we give our doctors greater access to vital data, we can improve health care and make it more affordable,” said Rep. Ryan. “I’m proud to work with Congressman Kind to make our health care system more competitive and make sure patients get the best care at the best price.”

Health care stakeholders in Wisconsin voiced strong support for the legislation:

“This bill will provide access to Medicare data that Wisconsin providers will use to continue improving the already high-quality care in their communities,” said Jo Musser, CEO of the Wisconsin Health Information Organization (WHIO). “We applaud Congressman Ryan and Congressman Kind for leading the charge on this important issue and we look forward to seeing this bipartisan legislation become law.”

“On behalf of the 12,500 members of the Wisconsin Medical Society, I wish to thank Representatives Ryan and Kind for their leadership on this issue,” said Executive Director Rick Abrams. “If this nation is going to move its Medicare Payment System from one that is driven by volume to one that is driven by value, we will not get there without comprehensive, accurate data.  HR 4418 squarely answers this call.  We hope that the Congress will pass this bill expeditiously.”