Health

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, Speaker Mike Johnson (LA-04), Majority Leader Steve Scalise (LA-01), Congressman Jim Jordan (OH-04), Chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary, and Congressman Brian Babin (TX-36), Chairman of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, issued the following statement after the White House released a  federal AI framework . “AI has begun to demonstrate its potential to improve Americans’ lives. To ensure we continue to harness its potential and beat China in the global AI race, Congress must take action. Today, the Trump Administration took a critical step in releasing a framework that gives Congress a roadmap to pursue legislation that provides innovators with much-needed certainty, while protecting consumers and prioritizing kids’ online safety. House Republicans look forward to working across the aisle to enact a national framework that unleashes the full potential of AI, cements the U.S. as the global leader, and provides important protections for American families.” ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  –   Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, announced a hearing titled  Policies to Protect Our Communities from Illicit Drug Threats. “As new and emerging drug threats arise in communities across America, it’s vital this Committee continues to implement solutions that prevent illicit drugs from causing any more damage for American families,”  said Chairmen Guthrie and Griffith . “This hearing builds on critical pieces of legislation that President Trump signed into law last year, like the HALT Fentanyl Act and the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act. We will also discuss several additional bills that actively promote the safety of our constituents and crack down on the infiltration of lethal substances into our communities. We are grateful to our bill sponsors for championing these policies, because there is always more that can be done to combat the illicit drug crisis.” Subcommittee on Health legislative hearing titled  Policies to Protect Our Communities From Illicit Drug Threats . WHAT:  Subcommittee on Health legislative hearing on how the Committee is cracking down on illicit drug threats in order to protect Americans families and keep communities safe. DATE:  Thursday, March 26, 2026       TIME:  2:00 PM ET LOCATION:  2123 Rayburn House Office Building This hearing will focus on the following bills:  H.R. 1266 ,  Combatting Illicit Xylazine Act (Reps. Panetta and Pfluger) H.R. 5630 ,  To amend the Public Health Service Act to require additional information in State plans for Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services block grants (Rep. Houchin) H.R. 5629 ,  To provide that the final rule of the Department of Health and Human Services titled “Medications for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder”, except for the portion of the final rule relating to accreditation of opioid treatment programs, shall have no force or effect. (Rep. Houchin) H.R. 2004 ,  Tyler’s Law (Reps. Lieu and Latta) H.R. 7970 ,  STOP Nitazenes Act (Rep. Latta) H.R. 8000 ,  END 7-OH Act (Rep. Bilirakis) H.R. 7184 ,  PRESS Act (Rep. McDowell) H.R. 8005 ,  Stop Pills That Kill Act (Rep. Evans) H.R. 5880 ,  Fight Illicit Pill Presses Act (Reps. Hageman and Stansbury) H.R. 1227 ,  Alternatives to Pain Act (Reps. Miller-Meeks and Barragan) H.R. 2715 ,  Destruction of Hazardous Imports Act (Reps. Higgins and Carter) H.R. 1561 ,  ALERT Communities Act (Reps. Crockett and Gooden) H.R. 7994 ,  HERO Act (Rep. Ruiz) H.R. 7407 ,  Prohibiting Tianeptine and Other Dangerous Products Act of 2026 (Rep. Pallone) This notice is at the direction of the Chairman. This hearing will be open to the public and press and will be livestreamed at  energycommerce.house.gov . If you have any questions about this hearing, please contact Annabelle Huffman with the Committee staff at  Annabelle.Huffman@mail.house.gov . If you have any press-related questions, please contact Katie West at  Katie.West@mail.house.gov . ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing titled  Lowering Health Care Costs for All Americans: An Examination of the U.S. Provider Landscape . Subcommittee Chairman Griffith’s opening statement as prepared for delivery: “Today we will discuss health care costs and patient access challenges by examining the health care provider landscape.   “This is the third hearing in the Committee’s health affordability series following hearings with health insurance executives back in January and stakeholders from the prescription drug supply chain last month.    “The United States provider landscape includes a wide range of entities and organizations that deliver services to patients.   “Hospitals and large health systems provide acute and specialized care. However, we have also seen these entities expand into outpatient service delivery.   “Independent physician practices and group practices deliver much of the primary and outpatient services that patients rely on every day.   “Although they are not before us in this hearing, I also want to recognize the critical role that federally qualified health centers, rural health clinics, and community hospitals play in our health system, especially in our most rural and underserved areas.   “It is no secret that across the country patients are faced with fewer choices about where they can receive care, as the provider market has consolidated dramatically.    “Hospitals are acquiring physician practices, systems are merging, and too often, patients have little options among providers.     “In many cases, the states that see the most consolidation have the largest rural populations—exacerbating access challenges, leaving communities strained, and contributing to overall unaffordability.   “On top of vertical integration limiting the viability of independent practices, the so-called Affordable Care Act has enabled the landscape to become even more narrow.   “In fact, because of the Affordable Care Act, any existing physician-owned hospital built before 2010 is prohibited from growing beyond the size it was when the bill became law. How does that make sense?   “As a result, many patients face limited provider options in their communities and may encounter higher prices with little insight into the cost of health services.   “At the same time, transparency amongst the health care provider system remains insufficient.   “Prices can vary widely for the same service depending on where care is delivered, and billing statements may include facility fees, multiple providers, and negotiated rates that are difficult for patients to understand.    “Additionally, programs such as the 340B Drug Pricing Program have become opaque and some hospitals have gone against the true intent of the program.    “The 340B Program was created with the intention of helping safety-net providers care for low-income and vulnerable patients; however, as hospitals and larger entities participate and expand affiliated contract pharmacies, visibility has become limited into how the program’s generated discounts are used and whether those savings are reaching patients.   “In many cases, the result of this system is that Americans are left navigating complex, and often expensive, medical bills—whether from a hospital visit or routine appointment—that they did not anticipate, cannot easily afford, and sometimes only learn about weeks or months after receiving care.   “When provider markets lack competition and transparency, prices can rise without patients having the information needed to make cost-conscious decisions.   “Today we will hear from different organizations that represent health care providers across a variety of settings, so that we can look for ways to try and make delivering and receiving care more affordable.    “We have the American Hospital Association in front of us who represents many types of hospitals and health care networks.   “We will also hear from the American Medical Association who represents physicians across the country.   “The American Academy of Family Physicians is here to give the perspective of family medicine practitioners.    “We also have the Purchaser Business Group on Health before us to provide insights into the relationship between private employers and public purchasers.   “We also have a neurosurgeon from the University of California San Francisco to give the perspective of specialty doctors and the care they provide to patients.    “Lastly, we have Barbara Merrill from the American Network of Community Options and Resources.   “These witnesses have unique insights into the factors that are currently leading to the high costs patients are facing when receiving care, and I am looking forward to the discussion.”   ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13), Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, and Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, are continuing their ongoing investigation into waste, fraud, and abuse within Medicaid programs by sending letters to ten additional states to request information and documents on the actions each state is taking to strengthen Medicaid program integrity. These requests come amidst reports and law enforcement actions that have demonstrated high levels of Medicaid fraud across numerous states. For example, in Massachusetts, a woman pleaded guilty to fraudulently billing MassHealth for $500,000 in Personal Care Attendant, home health, and adult foster care services after enrolling disabled, elderly, and homeless people in services without their knowledge or consent and billing Medicaid as their caretaker despite not providing these services. In Colorado, two individuals were charged in separate cases for defrauding Health First Colorado’s non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) program. The first defendant allegedly billed over $1 million in NEMT rides—$400,000 of which were billed for rides for herself and family members, and most of which were not associated with transportation to medical appointments. The second defendant billed Health First Colorado for $3.3 million in NEMT rides, including $283,000 for 64 rides for a single beneficiary, $165,000 of which occurred after the beneficiary had died. In Oregon, a woman was sentenced to federal prison for using stolen identities to submit fraudulent health care claims to Oregon’s Medicaid Program, totaling over $3 million and triggering $1.5 million in fraudulent Medicaid reimbursements. In New York, two individuals involved in a Brooklyn-based scheme involving adult day cares and home health  pleaded guilty   to $68 million in Medicaid fraud over a seven-year period. In addition, two men in Queens who owned adult daycare centers and a pharmacy  were recently charged  with $120 million in alleged Medicaid and Medicare fraud schemes. This included illegal kickbacks to Medicaid recipients to fill prescriptions at their pharmacies and enroll in their adult day care. It’s no secret that Medicaid fraud schemes have possibly cost the program billions of dollars annually across the country. These schemes contribute greatly to rising health care costs and strain our health care system, all at the expense of Medicaid beneficiaries and taxpayers. The Committee on Energy and Commerce is committed to rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse in our government health programs like Medicaid to ensure Americans who need them get the quality, affordable care they deserve. Chairmen Guthrie, Joyce, and Griffith issued the following statements regarding the ongoing investigation: “Fraud shouldn’t be a partisan issue. It's our most vulnerable Americans who are most at risk from fraudsters diverting precious resources intended for critical, needed care , ” said Chairman Guthrie. “ We owe it to our fellow Americans to preserve the Medicaid program for those that need it most, and states have an important role to play in ensuring that Medicaid programs operate with integrity. The Committee will continue to combat rampant waste, fraud, and abuse across the entire country.” "Medicaid was established to ensure the most vulnerable Americans are never left behind. That is why fraud and abuse within Medicaid will not be tolerated. Medicaid fraud robs both taxpayers and patients, and we will pursue it wherever it hides," said Rep. John Joyce, M.D. "Expanding this investigation is part of our responsibility in Congress to ensure that the government upholds the standards it was created to serve. Our Committee will work diligently to strengthen the integrity of the Medicaid system and to ensure that those who engage in fraudulent misuse or abuse are held fully accountable." “Americans support federal health care programs that serve American communities, not fraudsters! Led by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, this latest series of letters is the next step in our investigations to protect our social safety net programs and secure them for the most vulnerable Americans,” said Rep. Griffith. “Republicans in Congress will continue to do the necessary legwork to investigate allegations of waste, fraud and abuse within our Medicaid system.” BACKGROUND: In January, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13), Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, and Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, wrote to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and the Temporary Commissioner of Minnesota’s Department of Human Services, Shireen Gandhi, requesting communications, documents, and information to better understand the ongoing Medicaid fraud occurring in the state of Minnesota and actions the state is taking to strengthen program integrity. On February 3, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing titled Common Schemes, Real Harm: Examining Fraud in Medicare and Medicaid . During this hearing, expert witnesses testified on common examples of Medicaid fraud schemes and the potential scale of fraud in Medicaid programs nationwide. Now, as part of the Committee’s ongoing efforts to address Medicaid fraud, the Committee sent letters to CA , CO , MA , ME , NE , NY , OR , PA , VT , and WA . Each of these states displayed concerning cases of Medicaid fraud over the last several years. The purpose of this investigation is to assess the extent of fraud in state Medicaid programs and understand what states are doing to address the issue and protect the integrity of Medicaid for Americans. Read More About this Ongoing Investigation: CLICK HERE to read the New York Post's exclusive coverage of the letter.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13), Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, Congressman Jason Smith (MO-08), Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, Congressman David Schweikert (AZ-01), Chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight, and Congressman Vern Buchanan (FL-16), Chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health, authored ** a letter ** to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) requesting a meeting on the concerning evidence detailed in the letter that points to large-scale, ongoing Medicare fraud in Los Angeles County, along with what action is being taken to address the situation.

“The House Committee on Energy and Commerce has an extensive history of digging deeper into matters where program integrity has been compromised. This letter is crucial in our commitment to eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse in federal health care programs,” said Chairmen Guthrie, Joyce, and Griffith. “Republicans have spent much of this Congress furthering legislation to protect our most vulnerable Americans—especially seniors, but our work is not done. Continued oversight is crucial to uphold the integrity of programs that serve our most vulnerable populations. We applaud the ongoing work being conducted by HHS-OIG in cracking down on the fraud that has occurred, and we look forward to addressing the larger-scale scheme that is draining public resources from Americans who need these services the most.”

“Medicare home health and hospice fraud directly undermines the safety and reliability of care for America’s most vulnerable seniors. Auditors have reported an unprecedented jump in home health and hospice fraud in Los Angeles County, California – including one report showing 112 different hospices located at the same physical address. With $1.2 billion in improper payments in home health claims and the Inspector General reporting $198 million in suspected hospice fraud, Gavin Newsom’s California could just as well be another Minnesota,” said Chairman Smith. “The Ways and Means Committee will not hesitate to use our broad oversight authority to get to the bottom of this and protect taxpayers and vulnerable patients against these bad actors.”

BACKGROUND:

Evidence has strongly suggested large-scale Medicare fraud involving home health agencies (HHA) and hospice agencies in Los Angeles County, California, noting that such practices not only drain public resources but also compromise the quality of care provided to patients, especially those most vulnerable populations.

• The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) found that the 2023 improper payment error rate for home health claims was 7.7 percent, or about $1.2 billion, in 2023.
• In terms of hospice care, HHS OIG reported suspected hospice fraud to be an estimated $198.1 million in fiscal year (FY) 2023.
• CMS has placed HHAs as an area of high risk for Medicare fraud.

Emerging concerns over Medicare fraud in the HHAs and hospice sector highlights heightened activity, specifically in Los Angeles County.

• From 2019 through June 2023, HHAs in the U.S. decreased from 8,838 to 8,280 (6 percent), while, at the same time, HHAs in Los Angeles County increased from 896 to 1,309 (46 percent).
• More than 1,400 new Los Angeles County HHAs enrolled in Medicare in the last five years, representing over 50 percent of all HHAs in the state of California and nearly 14 percent of all HHAs in the country.

Based on data from the March 2022 California State Auditor’s Report and from HHS on hospice ownership, Los Angeles County had more than 31 percent of the hospice agencies in the U.S. in 2022.

• There were approximately 58 million seniors in the U.S. in 2022, with Los Angeles County having approximately 1.49 million seniors (2.5 percent).
• The report highlighted indicators that included a “rapid, disproportionate growth in the number of hospice agencies” and “excessive geographic clustering of hospice agencies,” noting that 112 different licensed hospice agencies were located at the same physical address.
• State auditors in California estimated that hospice agencies in Los Angeles County likely overbilled Medicare by $105 million in 2019.

These accounts of widespread fraud occurring in Los Angeles County’s HHAs and hospice agencies have raised concerns about whether home health and hospice Accrediting Organizations (AO) are effectively examining such organizations at the time of their enrollment in Medicare.

• In November 2024, CMS issued a Quality, Safety, and Oversight memo to surveyors, reminding them to closely inspect hospices’ Medicare enrollment documents to understand changes in ownership and location, but neglecting to encourage AOs to pursue other commonsense antifraud measures.

In April 2025, HHS OIG announced that the Office of Audit Services would compile a report for FY 2026 to identify trends, patterns, and comparisons that could indicate potential vulnerabilities related to new Medicare hospice provider enrollments.

In May 2025, the Health Care Fraud Strike Force—a joint task force of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including HHS OIG—** announced multiple arrests ** following a multi-year investigation into Armenian Organized Crime, which dismantled five hospices in the greater Los Angeles area.

On November 28, 2025, CMS ** announced ** the Calendar Year 2026 Home Health Prospective Payment System Final Rule, providing comments that suggest an interest in addressing the aforementioned accounts of fraud.

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – House Committee on Energy and Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie (KY-02) and Ranking Member Frank Pallone Jr., (NJ-06), along with Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chairman John Joyce, MD (PA-13), and Ranking Member Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), wrote to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) requesting a briefing on its ongoing oversight of patient safety in our nation’s organ procurement and transplant system.   In July, the Committee’s Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee held a hearing in response to a HRSA investigative report that found patient safety concerns at Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates (KYDA) – the organ procurement organization (OPO) serving the state of Kentucky. In the investigative report, HRSA revealed that of the 351 cases reviewed, 103 cases (29.3 percent) showed “concerning features.” These concerning features included problems with patient-family interactions, medical assessments and team interactions, recognition of high neurologic function, and recognition and documentation of drugs in records.   In addition, HRSA issued a corrective action plan to address the findings in its report specific to KYDA and directing the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) Board of Directors to develop certain safety guidelines for the entire OPTN. The corrective action plan raised further questions about the possibility that there may be more systemic issues at OPOs across the country, noting that “ [s]ince the review of KYDA was initiated, HRSA has received reports of similar patterns of high risk [donation after circulatory death] procurement practices at other OPOs .” Moreover, during the July hearing, HRSA’s Organ Transplant Branch Chief, Dr. Raymond Lynch was questioned about the potential failure to adhere to existing protocols by Rep. Erin Houchin (IN-09): “ is it a broader systemic issue or is it limited to KYDA ?” Dr. Lynch responded that “ [u]nfortunately, it is not limited to KYDA. During the course of this investigation we received concerns that were in areas served by other OPOs. ”  Chairmen Guthrie and Joyce and Ranking Members Pallone and Clarke issued the following joint statement:    “ The Committee’s examination of the organ procurement and transplant system has demonstrated the need for further oversight.  Testimony from the July hearing, HRSA’s investigative report and corrective action plan, and continued reports of similar patterns at other OPOs all raise serious concerns. The American people should be able to have full faith and confidence in our organ donor and transplant system, and we will continue to work together to prevent these harmful practices from continuing. Americans’ confidence in the system comes when patient safety is protected. ”    Read the full letter  here . Background:  ·       During the 118th Congress, the Committee on Energy and Commerce  passed  the Securing the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Act to both modernize the OPTN and allow HRSA to institute a competitive contracting process to find the best contractors for various OPTN functions. This legislation was signed into law on September 22, 2023.   ·       On March 20, 2024, the Committee  launched an investigation  into the organ procurement and transplantation system by sending  a letter  to United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) requesting information related to concerns surrounding data security and operability, patient safety and equity, and conflicts of interest.    ·       On March 20, 2024, the Committee also sent  a letter  to HRSA requesting information related to implementation of the Securing the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Act as well as other concerns related to effective oversight and management.   ·       On September 11, 2024, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a  hearing  that focused on the implementation of reforms at the OPTN, including the need for stronger oversight and accountability as well as ongoing patient safety concerns.   ·       During the hearing, questions were raised related to allegations of mismanagement and patient safety concerns after patients began exhibiting signs of increased neurologic function after being previously deemed suitable as an organ donation candidate. Several of these allegations, particularly those related to patient safety, were later substantiated through the findings contained in HRSA’s March 2025 report.   ·       On March 24, 2025, HRSA’s Division of Transplantation issued a  report  that summarized the findings of its investigation into KYDA, the OPO now known as Network for Hope, which serves Kentucky and parts of Ohio, West Virgina, and Indiana.  ·       On May 28, 2025, HRSA issued a  CAP  to OPTN, which directed the OTPN to take specific actions within a specified period of time, including developing a 12-month OPTN monitoring plan for KYDA to address concerns identified. The corrective action plan also requires the OPTN to propose policies for public comment to improve safeguards for potential donation after circulatory death (DCD) patients in the organ procurement process and increase information shared with patient families regarding DCD organ procurement.   ·       On July 22, 2025, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a  hearing  examining concerning practices within our nation’s organ procurement and transplant system that were identified by HRSA’s investigation.   ###