Medicaid Primary Care Improvement Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. SMUCKER. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Guthrie for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this bill, the Medicaid Primary Care Improvement Act, which I am proud to be an original cosponsor of.

Now, we have heard of the many benefits of direct primary care. Certainly, I have seen that in my community, where we have many patients accessing their care through doctors providing direct primary care, which is receiving primary care services for a simple, flat monthly fee. We have seen that it keeps patients out of emergency rooms, improves health outcomes, and it yields savings. I also believe it will yield savings to the Medicaid program in this case.

This bill clarifies that State Medicaid programs may include direct primary care arrangements and, as I said, will help vulnerable beneficiaries access low-cost and high-quality healthcare services.

I think giving States that flexibility is a great step in the right direction as well. When State Medicaid programs innovate on behalf of their patients, especially with something like this--leveraging value- based care delivery models like direct primary care--I think patients and taxpayers will be the winners.

I would also mention a bill that I have introduced, the Primary Care Enhancement Act, which would allow patients or individuals with health savings accounts to access primary care and have that cost be included as a qualified expense in the HSA. This will be another way to expand access to primary care.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Guthrie for yielding time, and I thank Mr. Crenshaw for his important work on this bill. I encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

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