Press Releases

Dr. Bucshon’s full remarks can be viewed here or excerpts can be read below.

“I rise today in strong support of HR 5378, the Lower Costs More Transparency Act. This bill, which is the product of thorough bipartisan work across three committees, honestly is one of the strongest health care bills I can remember voting on since coming to Congress in 2011… At nearly $13,000 per person, or around 18% of GDP, US national health expenditures far exceed other high-income countries, and they continue to rise at unsustainable rates. Congress must enact serious reforms that spur competition and show taxpayers where all these health care dollars are going. The problem isn’t limited to one part of our health care system, and so the solution must also reach across the entire system. This legislation seeks to increase transparency and lower costs related to hospital care, outpatient services, and prescription drugs. It also reauthorizes Community Health Centers and supports Disproportionate Share Hospitals… I am proud to support this legislation, and I yield back.”

BACKGROUND

Dr. Bucshon has been a leading voice in calling for legislation to address the rising costs of healthcare and believes the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act is a critical first step in the right direction. The American people have expressed their desire for progress in this field, as recent polling found nearly 90 percent of Americans support health care price transparency. 

The Lower Costs, More Transparency Act would, in part: 

Increase Price Transparency Throughout the Health Care System for Patients 

• Empowers patients and employers to shop for health care and make informed health care decisions by providing timely and accurate information about the cost of care, treatment, and services.
• Makes health care price information public by ensuring hospitals, insurance companies, labs, imaging providers, and ambulatory surgical centers publicly list the prices they charge patients, building upon the Trump administration price transparency rules.
• Lowers costs for patients and employers by requiring health insurers and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to disclose negotiated drug rebates and discounts, revealing the true costs of prescription drugs.

Address the Cost of Prescription Drugs

• Lowers out-of-pocket costs for seniors who receive medication at a hospital-owned outpatient facility or doctor’s office.
• Expands access to more affordable generic drugs.
• Equips employer health plans with the drug price information they need to get the best deal possible for their employees.

Support Patients, Health Care Workers, Community Health Centers, and Hospitals

• Fully pays for expiring programs that strengthen the health care system by: 
• Supporting Community Health Centers, which are crucial for patients in rural and underserved areas.
• Supporting training programs for new doctors in communities.
• Preserving Medicaid for hospitals that take care of uninsured and low-income patients.

Congressman Larry Bucshon, M.D. represents Indiana’s 8^th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives and is a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

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