Kelly, Top House Committees Celebrate Passage of Bipartisan Bill to Lower Health Care Costs and Increase Transparency

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Monday, U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA), a member of the Ways & Means Subcommittee on Health, joined the House of Representatives to pass landmark bipartisan legislation to lower the cost of health care and increase price transparency for patients. Led by House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith (R-MO), House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), and House Education and the Workforce Committee Chair Virginia Foxx (R-NC), H.R. 5378, the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act, will lower health care costs by increasing transparency in the health care market.

"The Lower Costs, More Transparency Act is critical legislation that will help patients navigate the increasingly complex and expensive health care system," said Rep. Kelly. "Over the last year, I've worked with Chairman Smith and my Ways and Means colleagues to advance important and life-saving health care legislation that will improve patient care and patient outcomes. Additionally, by reforming Medicare payment programs, we aim to save seniors millions on their medications. This bipartisan bill is a major victory for Americans who are seeking easier and more affordable access to health care."

“Millions of American families have struggled for far too long to afford the cost of their health care. What’s worse is they have been unable to anticipate those costs because our current system has left too many Americans at the mercy of nontransparent pricing on treatments, medicines, and procedures. By requiring nearly every corner of our health system to publicly disclose their prices, the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act will empower patients and create incentives to lower prices across the board. Americans will no longer be left in the dark, struggling to understand the true price of their health care,” said Chair Smith.

“This bipartisan legislation delivers on our commitment to lowering health care costs and providing increased transparency for patients—something 95 percent of Americans support. It helps Americans save money on out-of-pocket expenses and seniors save millions on medicines through important Medicare payment reforms. I thank my colleagues for their hard work and support of the legislation and urge the Senate to consider it without delay,” said Chair Rodgers.

“The Lower Costs, More Transparency Act does exactly what it says it does—it delivers lower health care costs for the American people and brings much-needed transparency to our nation’s complex health care system. This bipartisan bill is a victory for everyone who has ever struggled to navigate and understand the cost of a health care procedure or a prescription drug. I’m also pleased it will help make health care more accessible to American families by investing in Community Health Centers and programs to address the physician shortages across the nation,” said Ranking Member Pallone.

“The Lower Costs, More Transparency Act is all about empowering patients and their families. Every patient should be able to navigate the health care market with ease. This bill makes that vision a reality by building on the success of the Trump administration’s price transparency rules for plans and hospitals, making PBM activities more transparent, and ensuring employers have the information they need to make smart choices on behalf of their employees. I thank my colleagues on the Committees on Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce for working with us to develop a bill that is an enormous step forward to improving the American health care system,” said Chair Virginia Foxx. 

How the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act helps patients: 

Increases 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
• Lowers costs for patients and employers by requiring health insurers and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to disclose negotiated drug rebates and discounts

Addresses the Cost of Prescription Drugs  
 

• Lowers out-of-pocket costs for seniors who receive medication at a hospital-owned outpatient facility
• 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

Supports 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
• Extending funding for research to find better treatments and a cure for diabetes, which affects more than 37 million Americans  

CLICK HERE to read the text of the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act. 

CLICK HERE to read the full section by section summary.