A seniors’ advocacy group, healthcare providers and quality organizations have expressed support for Medicare pay-for-performance legislation that was introduced last week by Senate Finance Committee Chair Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Max Baucus (D-MT).

The bill “is an idea whose time has come,” AARP said in a statement. “We can no longer simply pay the bills for healthcare without using those payments as an incentive to improve the quality of that care for Medicare beneficiaries.”

Leading long-term care groups have not yet responded to the legislation, which would establish bonuses for organizations that deliver high-quality care.