WASHINGTON – Today, the Senate Finance Committee released the submissions responding to the Committee’s bipartisan initiative to explore cost effective solutions to improve health outcomes for Medicare patients living with one or more chronic conditions, spearheaded by Committee members Sens. Mark Warner (D-VA) and Johnny Isakson (R-GA.) The Committee received 530 submissions from interested stakeholders across the country who provided thoughtful ideas on ways the Medicare program can better deliver health care to beneficiaries with multiple chronic illness.

“We appreciate the input from members of the health care community and are thrilled so many weighed in on this important bipartisan issue,” Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR) said. “We also applaud Sens. Johnny Isakson and Mark Warner for their hard work in leading this initiative. Their efforts represent a strong bipartisan desire to find real solutions that provide high quality medical care to Medicare patients, at greater value and lower cost, without adding to the deficit. We look forward to partnering with our colleagues to review the submissions as we work toward a common goal of developing bipartisan legislative solutions this Congress.”

Following a Finance hearing on May, 15, 2015, the Finance Committee Chairman and Ranking Member announced the formation of a bipartisan working group, spearheaded by Sens. Warner and Isakson, to seek input from health care stakeholders to explore solutions to chronic care.

“As our population ages and people are able to live longer with illness than ever before, caring for patients with multiple chronic conditions will be the next challenge facing our nation’s healthcare system,” said Sen. Warner. “This stakeholder input is critical as Senator Isakson, other members of the Committee, and I look to develop bipartisan proposals to coordinate care for—and, above all, treat—patients with multiple chronic conditions.”

“I’m pleased by the input we have received and will use this valuable information along with Sen. Warner and the committee to find solutions that improve the quality of care for patients who are living with chronic medical conditions,” said Sen. Isakson.