Chair Rodgers Touts Landmark Lower Costs, More Transparency Act on House Floor
Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) delivered the following remarks on the House Floor regarding H.R. 5378, the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act.
“We all know that health care is too expensive, and the system is far too complicated.
“In the Energy and Commerce Committee, we’ve heard countless stories about real patients who were victims of an opaque system and were on the hook for staggering amounts of money for seeing a doctor, going to a hospital, or getting medicine.
“We heard about a patient that tried to shop for her care and was billed thousands of dollars more than what she was quoted.
“We heard about a patient who was overcharged eleven thousand dollars by a hospital for services she didn’t receive.
“And, we heard moving testimony from cancer patient advocates about policies we can enact right now to lower their drug costs.
“The Lower Costs, More Transparency Act includes these and other policies that would directly help all these patients.
“It lowers costs for Americans through increased health care price transparency.
“It ensures that senior citizens on Medicare never pay more for a drug because of where it is administered.
“And, it makes drug prices transparent to help patients and employers get the best deal possible on medicines.
“Over 90% of Americans support increased price transparency in health care, and, by passing this bill, we will be delivering results people are counting on.
“Further, CBO confirms that the bill would save taxpayers more than 700 million dollars over the next decade.
“I want to thank Chair Jason Smith, Chair Virginia Foxx, and Ranking Member Frank Pallone for their leadership, and Majority Leader Steve Scalise for working with us to bring this bill to the floor today.
“And also a special thank you to Ranking Member Pallone’s team—notable Tiffany Guarascio, Waverly Gordon, Una Lee, and Saha Khaterzai—for working with us to find this bipartisan agreement.
“Finally, I want to thank my own staff—especially Grace Graham, Corey Ensslin, and Kristin Flukey—for their tireless efforts that will make a meaningful difference for patients in this country.
“In sum, this bill is a legislative opportunity: bipartisan, regular order, and fully paid for.
“It advances foundational health care reforms for patients, lowers health care costs, and reduces the deficit.
“I urge all my colleagues to support the lower costs, more transparency act, and I reserve the balance of my time.”
CLICK HERE to read more about the H.R. 5378, the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act.
CLICK HERE to read a section-by-section summary of the bill.
CLICK HERE to read the bill text.
READ:
Bipartisan Lower Costs, More Transparency Act Saves Seniors Money, Strengthens Medicare