Patton Boggs Congratulates MARC Coalition On Passage Of Legislation To Speed Medicare Repayment

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The law firm of Patton Boggs LLP congratulates the Medicare Advocacy Recovery Coalition (MARC) for their role in helping secure enactment of the Strengthening Medicare and Repaying Taxpayers (SMART) Act, H.R.1845. The legislation was signed into law today by President Barack Obama after enactment by the Congress on December 21, 2012.

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Introduced in the spring of 2011 by Congressman Tim Murphy (R-Pa) and Ron Kind (D-WI) as H.R. 1063 and several months later by Senators Ron Wyden (D-Or) and Rob Portman (R-Oh) as S.1718, the legislation will significantly improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the current Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) system.  Increases in efficiency, combined with reductions in fraud and waste, will result in taxpayer savings of $45 million over the next ten years, according to estimates by the Congressional Budget office.

The MARC Coalition advocates for the improvement of the Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) program for beneficiaries and affected companies by facilitating strategic alliances with Congressional leaders and government agencies to focus on issues of MSP reform. Patton Boggs served as a key adviser to the coalition in designing the advocacy strategy for the SMART Act and leading the Coalition and stakeholder effort to pass the legislation. Patton Boggs was able to coordinate over 50 organizations in the coalition effort.   

"This is a tremendous achievement for the MARC Coalition," said David Farber, a member of the Patton Boggs team representing MARC's interests before Congress. "Three years ago, very few in Congress had heard of MSP.  To have passed reform legislation in such a short period is remarkable, and a testament to the MARC Coalition's efforts and abilities."

In streamlining the reimbursement and claims processes, the legislation affords significant benefits to Medicare beneficiaries, and businesses large and small. The SMART Act also benefits the Medicare Trust Fund by speeding repayment of amounts owed from Medicare beneficiary claims directly to the Medicare Trust Fund.  The SMART Act enjoyed strong bipartisan support, and was been endorsed by such key stakeholders as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National League of Cities, the nation's leading insurers, and retailers and dozens of businesses nationwide.

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