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: Examining Policies to Increase Health Care Transparency.
Subcommittee Chairman Griffith’s opening statement as prepared for delivery:
“Today’s hearing will examine ways we can work to improve health care price transparency.
“Health care affordability has long been a priority for this Committee and Congressional Republicans.
“Building on the foundation established by President Trump’s transparency initiatives, we have focused on policies that increase competition, expand consumer choice, reduce regulatory burdens, and strengthen transparency throughout the health care system.
“While there is no single solution to addressing rising health care costs, empowering Americans with better information and transparency data remains a critical step toward a more efficient, accountable, and affordable health care landscape.
“For too long, patients, families, and employers have faced a health system where the cost of care is often unclear—sometimes even unclear after care is delivered.
“As we have seen throughout our Affordability Series, health care pricing, medical bills, and coverage information can be complex and opaque.
“But it does not have to be that way.
“Greater transparency is essential to creating a more consumer-driven marketplace, where patients have the tools needed to make more-informed care decisions.
“When patients have a better understanding of the costs associated with medical treatments, procedures, and services, they are better positioned to compare options, seek high-value care, and avoid unexpected medical bills.
“Increased transparency is also critical to bringing health care disruptors into the market and promoting competition amongst insurers and providers, where we continue to see consolidation that contributes to higher health care costs.
“It is important that we strive to foster a health system that not only delivers high-quality care at a more affordable cost but also increases accountability across the sector.
“This Administration, both in President Trump’s first term and in this current term, has prioritized bringing more transparency to health care.
“Some of the proposals today build off the transparency work that President Trump has implemented through regulatory pathways, meaning a different administration can come in and change or reverse course on them.
“That’s why codification is important, as it aims to allow for a more standardized format and implementation of rules for hospitals and insurers to follow.
“For instance, many hospitals have invested millions of dollars into creating transparency within their system and shifting regulations by different administrations only adds to that cost.
“During this hearing, we will explore a range of legislative proposals aimed at strengthening transparency requirements and providing patients with upfront, clear information about health care prices.
“One of the bills we will consider is an updated version of the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act, which was led by former Chairman Cathy McMorris Rodgers and passed on the House floor back in 2023.
“The bill aims to increase price transparency throughout the health care system, including hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers and clinical labs and imaging testing.
“Additionally, some of the proposals today look at ways we can empower the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, with the tools they need to improve price transparency data and accountability.
“Further, we look at ways participants can be more fully informed, as one of the discussion drafts requires Medicare Advantage and commercial health plans to publicly post their prior authorization data so that individuals can view the plans’ approval and denial rates for health claims.
“Another bill we will discuss is H.R. 5582, the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act, championed by Representative John James from Michigan. This bill takes a slightly different approach compared to the Lower Cost, More Transparency Act, but shares the same goal of bringing more transparency into the market.
“I am proud of this Subcommittee’s commitment toward working to lower health care costs for all Americans, and I am eager to examine these proposals so we can continue to look for ways to make health care more affordable and transparent.
“I thank the witnesses for being here today, and I look forward to the discussion.”
