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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, led a hearing titled Lowering Health Care Costs for All Americans: An Examination of the Prescription Drug Supply Chain, featuring witness testimony from representatives across the entire prescription drug supply chain.

“I’m proud of this subcommittee’s work, but there is still more to be done—which is why I was proud to continue building on our affordability series through today’s hearing with representatives across the entire prescription drug supply chain,” said Chairman Griffith. “Hearing from these witnesses on how to best navigate this complex web helps Congress make better-informed policy decisions so that we are able to meaningfully lower the cost of care for all American patients.”

Watch the full hearing here:

Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing:

Congressman Troy Balderson (OH-12): “I represent a very rural district, and not only is access to health care a problem, but access to pharmacy services is growing more challenging as well. A 2025 FTC report examined PBM pharmacy contracting practices and found that internal PBM documents suggested rural pharmacies are often forced to accept ‘take it or leave it’ reimbursement rates. Could you elaborate on the specific challenges rural pharmacies face when negotiating contracts with PBMs, and how these practices may affect access to care in rural communities?” Mr. Hoey: “‘Take it or leave it’ contracts are part and parcel of the so-called negotiations between pharmacies and PBMs. PBMs hold all the leverage. They hold the patient lives. So, if a pharmacy does not sign whatever is put in front of them—with very little negotiation—I’m sure our friends at PMA will say there’s robust negotiation, but in reality, it’s a take-it-or-leave-it contract. These pharmacies are often forced to sign contracts that pay them below their cost to acquire the drug. And yes, rural pharmacies, as well as pharmacies in underserved areas, urban areas, and suburban communities, are all taking contracts in which they are paid below cost. As a result, 5,000 pharmacies have gone out of business in the last four years alone. That’s 5,000 fewer pharmacy choices in just four years. It’s a systemic problem. In fact, pharmacy deserts—especially in your district in Ohio and across the country—are growing because of these ‘take it or leave it’ contracts.”

Congresswoman Kat Cammack (FL-03): “Three companies control the majority of drug distribution in the United States, and many are vertically integrated to control each phase of the prescription drug supply chain—from manufacturer to pharmacy. Does consolidating the prescription drug industry lower prices for patients? Yes or no?” Mr. Davis: “It has the potential to, yes.” Congresswoman Kat Cammack: “Respectfully, your own industry report projects that the ‘big three’ will generate $871 billion in revenue this year—after four straight years of double-digit growth. So, if this is potentially saving patients money, why are revenues growing so fast, and where are patients seeing the savings?”

Congressman Michael Rulli (OH-06): “President Trump recently launched TrumpRx, a revolutionary platform aimed at bringing price transparency and competition back to the drug market. My constituents tell me every day about how much they dread going to the pharmacy because they never know what price they’re going to pay at the counter; it always changes. Then, you have brand-name versus [generic]... How have your members reacted to the transparent pricing of brand-name [drugs] on TrumpRx?” Mr. Marin: “The PBM industry is all about transparency. We are enhancing it for our customers every day, particularly for employers. The bill Congress passed a couple of weeks ago takes [transparency] to another level—we’re happy with that. We support and applaud the mission of the administration’s goal with TrumpRx.”

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 Prescription Drug Supply Chain.

Subcommittee Chairman Griffith’s opening statement as prepared for delivery:

“First, I want to recognize the bipartisan bill that we were able to pass last week that included many important health care provisions and lowered health care costs for all Americans.

“Today, we will discuss health care costs and patient access challenges by examining affordability across the entire pharmaceutical supply chain.

“I’m proud of this subcommittee’s work, but there is still more to be done, which is why I am eager to continue building on our affordability series with today’s hearing that comes after we heard from insurance executives last month.

“We now will hear from stakeholders who are part of the complex pharmaceutical drug supply chain.

“To regular people, this system may seem simple: a disease is researched and a treatment is developed, then that treatment is manufactured and distributed to a hospital, pharmacy, or other health entity before it is dispensed to a patient.

“However, there are many more layers that are involved in this process that affect how a drug gets to a patient and how that drug is priced.

“One of the most frustrating aspects of the supply chain is that it operates in a blackbox.

“Luckily, we have witnesses here to provide their perspectives and shine a light on the process.

“Do each of these entities in front of us today play a role in getting the drug to a patient? Yes.

“Are there too many cooks in the kitchen at times? Probably so.

“Today is a great opportunity for Congress to get a glimpse and see what is happening, and look for ways to help make prescription drugs more affordable.

“In 2017, this same subcommittee held a hearing similar to this one.

“A lot has changed since then.

“I am glad we are reexamining what we learned from that hearing to continue working towards what we all want: lowering costs for patients while ensuring that America remains a leader in pharmaceutical innovation.

“We have PhRMA and BIO in front of us who can speak to the intricacies that go into researching, developing, and pricing a drug on the market.

“We will also get the perspective of generic drugs from the Association for Accessible Medicines who can speak on the issues in that area.

“We also have the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association here who is the trade association that represents pharmaceutical benefit managers, or PBMs.

“In theory, PBMs manage prescription drug benefits for insurance companies, employers, and others.

“What we heard in our hearing last month is that insurance companies own many PBMs.

“The largest three insurance owned PBMs control over 80 percent of the market.

“How they manage these benefits is a mystery and can lead to higher drug prices.

“However, just last week, led by Representative Buddy Carter from Georgia, Congress passed and the President signed into law the biggest PBM reform package in history.

“These bills will bring more transparency into this system, lower costs, and allow for more access to medicines.

“The Healthcare Supply Chain Association is here on behalf of Group Purchasing Organizations, or GPOs, which act as intermediaries between manufacturers and providers.

“In front of us is also the Healthcare Distribution Alliance, who is involved in the distribution of prescription drugs along the supply chain.

“I am looking forward to hearing from the National Community Pharmacists Association who is before us today as well, since they represent community pharmacists.

“These community pharmacies serve a critical role in bringing care to patients, especially in rural areas; yet, many have had to sadly close their doors in recent years due to factors we will discuss today.

“The ERISA Industry Committee is also here to discuss their point of view for employers when it comes to high costs, as well as decisions they make based on those costs.

“Each of these different entities play a unique role in how a drug finally gets to a patient.

“In this meeting, we will hear from these witnesses on how to navigate this complex web on behalf of the American people.

“I look forward to the discussion.”

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 Lowering Health Care Costs for All Americans: An Examination of the Prescription Drug Supply Chain.

“This marks the second hearing in our health care affordability series, confirming Republicans’ commitment to meaningfully lowering the cost of care for American families,” said Chairmen Guthrie and Griffith. “After hearing big insurance companies pledge to do more for American patients, we are continuing our commitment to the American people by calling in representatives across the entire prescription drug supply chain—pharmaceutical manufacturers, distributors, and providers—to examine the root drivers of prescription drug costs and ways to keep them both accessible and affordable. We look forward to hearing from the panelists on potential solutions to lower the cost of care for all Americans.”

Subcommittee on Health hearing titled Lowering Health Care Costs for All Americans: An Examination of the Prescription Drug Supply Chain.

WHAT: Subcommittee on Health hearing on exploring the role that the prescription drug supply chain plays in health care affordability.

DATE: Wednesday, February 11, 2026

TIME: 10:15 AM ET

LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building

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. – Today, Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, led a hearing titled Lowering Health Care Costs for All Americans: An Examination of Health Insurance Affordability, featuring witness testimony from the biggest health insurance plan CEOs in the United States. During the hearing, Committee Republicans held health insurance plans accountable in their role of increasing health care affordability challenges impacting all Americans and discuss how Democrat policy failures in Washington D.C. have warped the American health care system and hurt patients access to high-quality health coverage options.

“Many patients have fewer plan choices than they did before Obamacare was enacted. Therefore, Obamacare coverage is not translating to patient or taxpayer affordability,” said Chairman Griffith. “We owe it to patients to have a health system that offers real choices, transparent prices, and coverage that fits their needs, and I look forward to seeing how today’s conversation presents solutions to make health care more affordable for all Americans.”

Watch the full hearing ** here **.

Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing:

Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02): “Experts, including the Congressional Budget Office, estimated that the expiration of the temporary Obamacare enhanced COVID Credit is projected to increase premiums by anywhere from 4 percent and 8 percent, depending on the market. Yet, many areas for 2026, insurers requested and were approved for premium increases of 30 percent, 40 percent, even 50 percent. So, Mrs. Boudreaux, you’re in Kentucky. The average Elevance Obamacare plan increased its premium by roughly 24 percent. Despite what Democrats would have the American people believe, the temporary COVID Credit does little to actually lower underlying Obamacare premiums and the American taxpayers are footing the bill. So, Mrs. Boudreaux, by your best estimation—even if the Democrats’ temporary COVID Credits were extended—would Obamacare plan bids in my state of Kentucky increase or decrease between 2026 and 2025?” Mrs. Boudreaux: “Well, thank you very much for the question, Congressman. You know, as we’ve shared, premiums reflect the underlying costs...” Chairman Guthrie: “So, they would have increased, right?”

Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13): “Since the passage of the ACA, we have seen costs across all markets continue to increase. One of the key issues driving this is the medical loss ratio, or the MLR, that requires plans to spend either 80 percent or 85 percent of your premium dollars on health care expenses. The MLR created multiple perverse incentives for insurance companies to dramatically consolidate both vertically and horizontally. The companies that you lead today are not just involved in insurance. You own PBMs, you own specialty pharmacies, you own retail pharmacies, you own GPOs, you own physician groups and practices. In some cases, you own hospitals, and you own drug manufacturing companies. And at least one of you owns a bank! This has led to alleged cases of self-dealing, as your companies work to circumvent the [multi-level marketing] requirements.”

Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01): “The largest PBMs—CVS Caremark, Express Scripts, and Optum—have created rebate contracting entities, or PBM group purchasing organizations, which are adding to the complex and opaque nature of the medicine supply chain. My first PBM reform bill on transparency was in 2019, as an Iowa state senator. PBMs claim these entities provide them and their clients with greater bargaining power to lower costs, but recent investigations by Members of Congress, industry experts, state attorneys general, and federal oversight agencies suggest the opposite may be true. We have a graph up here. Let’s start with the left. The drugmaker pays rebates directly to the PBMs and PBM GPOs to ensure their drugs are included on their health plan formularies—meaning the drugs are covered by insurance. Then, these PBMs and their PBM GPO subsidiaries collect the rebates, which they promise to pass through to their patients and health plans. Can any of you tell me what percentage of rebates are passed through to the patient, who is paying a higher drug cost because the rebates are added to the price of the drug?” Top Health Insurers: “...” Congresswoman Miller-Meeks: “Is it zero?” Top Health Insurers: “...” Congresswoman Miller-Meeks: “You don’t even know that you’re not giving these patients back a rebate for paying higher drug prices.”

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 Health Insurance Affordability.

Subcommittee Chairman Griffith’s opening statement as prepared for delivery:

“Today we will discuss health care costs and patient access challenges by examining affordability across the entire health insurance marketplace.

“This hearing builds on work Republicans have done this Congress to address health care affordability.

“We plan to have future hearings with other leaders and experts across the health care continuum to understand the root causes of rising health care costs.

“Specifically, this hearing will focus on the role insurers play in the delivery of care.

“The insurance market is dominated by a handful of Fortune 50 corporations that control the majority of the national market.

“In some states, a single insurer may even control 80 or 90 percent of a particular market.

“The biggest health insurers today often manage several facets of the health care supply chain, such as owning the pharmacy benefit managers; the group purchasing organizations; multiple provider groups; and specialty or mail-order pharmacies.

“Even with owning those, complicated benefit designs, narrow networks, prior authorization requirements, and opaque coverage decisions often leave patients feeling like they are paying more for less.

“The market also lacks transparency and is not easily navigable.

“One contributor to health insurance unaffordability for millions of Americans is the so called ‘Affordable Care Act,’ also known as Obamacare, that was signed into law in 2010.

“When Democrats passed Obamacare, without Republican support, they sold the bill on the promises that premiums would fall, competition would rise, and ‘if you like your insurance plan, you will keep it.’

“Instead, Obamacare has increased health care costs, warped incentives, federalized benefits, restricted plan design, and limited access to care.

“Many patients have fewer plan choices than they did before Obamacare was enacted. In fact, a constituent told me recently that his family only has one provider option. Therefore, Obamacare coverage is not translating to patient or taxpayer affordability.

“Unfortunately, employer-sponsored insurance is also becoming unaffordable, and, each year, more American small businesses choose not to offer health insurance because it is too costly.

“This impacts the ability for a small business to be competitive and attract talent.

“We know two things are true:

“Competition is essential for patient access! Lack of competition and consolidation within the insurance marketplace has led us to higher health care costs as a whole.

“The health care system needs to work for patients.

“That means empowering individuals with real choices, transparent prices, and coverage that fits their needs.

“We must strive to have more competitive plan options that reward quality and focus on affordability, access, and outcomes.

“Our discussion today is meant to move beyond politics and spur debate about how we can work toward delivering meaningful, innovative solutions for the Americans that we serve.

“We owe it to patients to get to the root causes of the challenges we see across the health sector, and I look forward to hearing from our witnesses.”

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 requesting communications, documents, and information from Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and the Temporary Commissioner of Minnesota’s Department of Human Services, Shireen Gandhi, to better understand the ongoing Medicaid fraud occurring in the state of Minnesota and actions the state is taking to strengthen program integrity.

The unprecedented fraud scheme in Minnesota, which has potentially been ** ongoing ** since 2013, has revealed a swath of criminal schemes, including overbilling, false records, identity theft, and phantom claims in Medicaid social service and health programs for the elderly and disabled, people struggling with addiction, and homelessness. Chairmen Guthrie, Joyce, and Griffith issued the following statement regarding ** the letter’s ** content:

“The extensive fraud schemes being perpetrated in Minnesota have wreaked havoc on government-funded health programs. We have an obligation to ensure finite taxpayer dollars are being used responsibly, and that the most vulnerable Americans are not being exploited to the benefit of fraudsters and foreign actors,” said Chairmen Guthrie, Joyce, and Griffith. “As members of Congress and this Committee, our track record has made our continued commitment to ridding government programs of waste, fraud, mismanagement, and abuse clear. This letter is the next step in the Committee’s work to root out fraud and restore program integrity in our federal health programs nationwide.”

The Trump Administration has taken concrete steps to address the fraud being uncovered in Minnesota. Complementary to that work, Congress has a responsibility to oversee federal programs, like Medicaid, to ensure precious dollars and resources are being spent appropriately to deliver quality and necessary care.

BACKGROUND:

Glaring accounts of waste, fraud, and abuse in Minnesota’s Medicaid social service and health programs have resulted in billions of taxpayer dollars going straight to the pockets of fraudsters and foreign actors.

• Ongoing investigations indicate that fraudulent provider schemes are particularly prevalent in health and community-based service programs, including residential drug and alcohol treatment, home health, housing, and autism service programs.

Unfortunately, Minnesota’s Medicaid program lacks adequate oversight and fraud control measures, and state officials have neglected to swiftly identify and address vulnerabilities in programs.

• Fraud experts note that fraudsters often target states like Minnesota, which tend to have the “weakest ID checks, fastest payouts, and lowest audit risk,” when looking to establish fraud schemes.

In July 2025, the Working Families Tax Cuts legislation was signed into law by President Trump, including critical provisions to target waste, fraud, and abuse within the Medicaid program—several of which help prevent the fraud schemes that occurred in Minnesota from happening again.

In response to these fraudulent practices, CMS is auditing the Minnesota Medicaid program, freezing provider enrollment, and deferring payments for 14 high-risk programs, including adult companion, rehabilitative mental health services, individualized home supports, residential treatment services, among others—which, alone, cost taxpayers $3.75 billion annually.

CMS recently briefed the Committee on what is currently known about the Medicaid fraud in Minnesota and actions CMS has taken to date. This further underscored the need for the Committee’s oversight to ensure program integrity.

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 Lowering Health Care Costs for All Americans: An Examination of Health Insurance Affordability.

“Our constituents are feeling the effects of damage caused by Democrats’ failing health care policies, which have delivered worse health outcomes for patients by reducing choice and making care unaffordable and inaccessible. Now, they are doubling down, causing the rapid rise of health care costs,” said Chairmen Guthrie and Griffith. “Republicans have proposed many solutions to address this broken system, and this hearing is just the first step toward a larger effort to address the health care affordability crisis. We are working diligently to improve health outcomes and decrease the cost of care for all Americans.”

Subcommittee on Health hearing titled Lowering Health Care Costs for All Americans: An Examination of Health Insurance Affordability.

WHAT: Subcommittee on Health hearing to have productive discussions with health insurance companies on the core drivers working against health care affordability—namely onerous government interference, administrative burdens, waste, fraud, and abuse, and lack of competition and patient choice.

DATE: Thursday, January 22, 2026

TIME: 9:45 AM ET

LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building

Members of the media who wish to attend in-person should RSVP to their respective press gallery no later than 5:00 PM ET on Wednesday, January 21, 2026.

House Radio/TV Gallery:
** radiotv@mail.house.gov **
(202) 225-5214

House Periodical Gallery:
** Periodical.press@mail.house.gov **
(202) 225-2941

House Daily Press Gallery:
** dailypressgallery@mail.house.gov **
(202) 224-3945

Photographer Gallery:
** press_photo@saa.senate.gov **
(202) 224-6548

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 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. – Today, Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, led a hearing titled Legislative Proposals to Support Patient Access to Medicare Services.

“As our population ages, it is critical that Medicare policies keep pace with patient needs. Today’s hearing highlighted legislation that works to improve patient access in Medicare,” said Chairman Griffith. “Ensuring beneficiaries can obtain timely, cost-effective services is essential to fulfilling Medicare’s promise.”

Watch the full hearing here .

Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing:

Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13): “H.R. 1703, the Choices for Increased Mobility Act of 2025, is commonsense legislation. It would give greater access to Medicare beneficiaries to titanium and to carbon fiber wheelchairs. There is one key word in this legislation, and that is choice. This bill allows Medicare patients the opportunity to decide whether a titanium or a carbon fiber wheelchair is the right choice for them, and if it is, patients with Medicare B have the ability to pay out of pocket for wheelchair upgrades if they so choose.”

Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01): “As a physician and nurse, I have seen firsthand how critical timely access to oxygen equipment, mobility devices, and home medical supplies are to keep patients healthy and out of hospitals. When access to these services is disrupted, patient outcomes suffer, and costs to the health care system increase. That is why I introduced H.R. 2005, the DMEPOS Relief Act of 2025. DMEPOS suppliers, particularly small independent providers and those serving rural communities, are under growing financial pressure due to inflation, workforce shortages, supply chain disruptions, and Medicare reimbursement rates that have not kept pace with real-world costs. In many cases, suppliers are being forced to limit services or exit the Medicare program altogether, leaving beneficiaries with fewer options and longer wait times.”

Congressman Tom Kean (NJ-07): “I appreciate this Committee’s efforts to educate all of us on legislation that could help our seniors who rely on Medicare. I support H.R. 5269, the Reforming and Enhancing Sustainable Updates to Laboratory Testing Services (RESULTS) Act of 2025, that’s been introduced by my colleague from North Carolina, Representative Hudson. This bill would make vital reforms to Medicare’s clinical lab fee schedule, which pays for lab tests New Jersey seniors rely on for routine care and for diagnosis of more complex conditions like cancer. In New Jersey, there were over 2,300 laboratories. In my district, there are over 200. Ms. Van Meter, can you articulate the urgency of reform needed for Medicare’s clinical lab fee schedule?” Ms. Susan Van Meter: “On January 31, about 800 tests will get cut by up to 15 percent. The cuts are going to hit tests that are among the most routine that Medicare beneficiaries rely on every day. Those kinds of reductions will have an impact on beneficiary access to services. It will also stifle innovation in the next generation of diagnostics those same patients need and deserve.”