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Amy Murphy Associate Director, Media
Relations, amurphy@acc.org,
202.375.6476
May
6, 2009
ACC CEO Jack Lewin’s Statement on Committee on Ways
& Means Hearing with HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius
Washington, D.C. – The American College
of Cardiology’s (ACC) CEO, Jack Lewin, M.D., today released
the following statement following the testimony on “Health
Reform in the 21st Century” from Secretary of Health
and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius to the House Committee
on Ways and Means:
“Secretary Sebelius’ testimony today is consistent
with the bipartisan thinking on reforming the nation’s
health care system and what we heard at the White House Summit
on Health Care Reform.
“Leaders in both parties and the health care community
agree: The American health care system needs to change. What
we heard from Secretary Sebelius and committee members is
that change needs to come sooner rather than later. The ACC
has long advocated for several of the reforms Secretary Sebelius
testified about today including payment reforms and the development
of a health information technology infrastructure.
“Making physician reimbursement focus on quality outcomes
rather than the process is essential for physicians delivering
quality health care and improving the health of their patients.
Study after study has shown that our current payment system
rewards ineffective health care, and the lack of an interoperable
health information system only increases the wasteful spending
of our nation’s limited health care dollars.
“The ACC has long said that cost should be the driver,
not the barrier to reform. There were a lot of good ideas
from members of both sides today, all of which have merit.
Together with input from physicians and patient advocate groups,
we can work with Congress to come up with common sense solutions
that help lower cost, both to patients and ultimately taxpayers,
while improving quality outcomes.
“With 43 percent of all Medicare dollars spent fighting
heart disease – our nation’s leading killer –
it is clear that cardiologists will play a vital role in reforming
our health care system. President Obama has shown that health
system reform is a priority for his administration. We are
happy to take part in that conversation and look forward to
working with Secretary Sebelius further on the reforms needed
to improve our country’s health care.”
Interview requests for Jack Lewin can be made by contacting
either Amy Murphy or Larry Farnsworth.
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The American College of Cardiology is leading the way to optimal
cardiovascular care and disease prevention. The College is
a 36,000-member nonprofit medical society and bestows the
credential Fellow of the American College of Cardiology upon
physicians who meet its stringent qualifications. The College
is a leader in the formulation of health policy, standards
and guidelines, and is a staunch supporter of cardiovascular
research. The ACC provides professional education and operates
national registries for the measurement and improvement of
quality care. More information about the association is available
online at www.acc.org .
The American College of Cardiology (ACC) provides these news
reports of clinical studies published in the Journal of
the American College of Cardiology as a service to physicians,
the media, the public and other interested parties. However,
statements or opinions expressed in these reports reflect
the view of the author(s) and do not represent official policy
of the ACC unless stated so.
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