Bipartisan Health Subcommittee Legislative Hearing on Transparency and Competition Scheduled for Wednesday

 

Brett Guthrie (R-KY) (photo: US House of Representatives)                      Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) (photo: US House Office of Photography)

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Subcommittee on Health Chair Brett Guthrie (R-KY) announced a bipartisan subcommittee hearing on Wednesday, April 26, titled “Lowering Unaffordable Costs: Legislative Solutions to Increase Transparency and Competition in Health Care.” Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure is scheduled to testify at what will be her first appearance before Congress since confirmation. A second panel is expected at a later date. 

The Subcommittee on Health Hearing is titled: “Lowering Unaffordable Costs: Legislative Solutions to Increase Transparency and Competition in Health Care.”

During this hearing, the Subcommittee will consider a list of bills that include important policies championed by those in the medical field.  For the first time, the Subcommittee will discuss a bill to lift the moratorium on physician-owned hospitals, as well as measures for site-neutral payments to offset longstanding payment differentials benefitting hospital-owned delivery sites, which have spurred consolidation in the marketplace.

Chairs Rodgers and Guthrie released the following statement:

“Americans’ budgets are being stretched increasingly thin, as health care costs continue to rise to unsustainable rates.  We’re convening this hearing in a bipartisan fashion to discuss legislative solutions to help empower patients through price transparency and lower costs across the system.  We will continue to work productively with all committee members on health care affordability, and we welcome feedback from stakeholders and look forward to discussing these proposals with Administrator Brooks-LaSure.”

LEGISLATION AND PROPOSALS UNDER CONSIDERATION:

  • H.R. 1613, the Drug Price Transparency in Medicaid Act of 2023
  • H.R. 2665, the Supporting Safety Net Hospitals Act
  • H.R. 2666, the Medicaid VBPs for Patients (MVP) Act
  • H.R. 2691, the Transparent PRICE Act
  • H.R. 2679, the PBM Accountability Act
  • H.R. 977, the Patient Access to Higher Quality Health Care Act of 2023
  • H.R.___, To establish patient protections with respect to highly rebated drugs
  • H.R.___, To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to increase price transparency of diagnostic laboratory tests
  • H.R.___, To amend title XI of the Social Security Act to increase transparency of certain health-related ownership information
  • H.R.___, To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to promote transparency of common ownership interests under Parts C and D of the Medicare Program
  • H.R.___, To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to consider, within the annual rulemaking process, the effect of regulatory changes to certain Medicare payment systems on provider and payer consolidation, and for other purposes
  • H.R.___, To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for parity in Medicare payments for hospital outpatient department services furnished off-campus
  • H.R.___, To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require payment for all hospital-owned physician offices located off-campus be paid in accordance with the applicable payment system for the items and services furnished
  • H.R.___, To amend XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for site neutral payments under the Medicare program for certain services furnished in ambulatory settings
  • H.R.___, To amend titles XI and XVIII of the Social Security Act to require each outpatient department of a provider to include a unique identification number on claims for services, and to require hospitals with an outpatient department of a provider to submit to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services an attestation with respect to each outpatient department
  • H.R.___, To amend title III of the Public Health Service Act to ensure transparency and oversight of the 340B drug discount program
  • H.R.___, To phase out certain services designated as inpatient-only services under the Medicare program.

The hearing will be open to the public and press and will be live streamed online at https://link.edgepilot.com/s/cb20fe32/bm3aruOp-Em7ddkKfyDU2A?u=https://energycommerce.house.gov/