WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act, a strong, bipartisan heath care package that includes legislation introduced by Congressmen John Sarbanes (D-Md.) and John Joyce, M.D. (R-Pa.) to reduce costs for the Medicare program and pass along savings to its beneficiaries.
The legislation led by Congressmen Sarbanes and Joyce (H.R. 3237) would require hospital-based health care providers to use a unique identifier for each of their outpatient sites when billing the Medicare program. This technical change will equip the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) with the tools to better enforce existing law, increase transparency and prevent overbilling. Ultimately, this will promote cost savings in the Medicare program and, like many other provisions in the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act, lower health care costs for American seniors.
“Through my prior work in health care law, I saw firsthand how unique identifiers can benefit Medicare, patients and even providers by making it easier to accurately bill and track health care payments,” said Congressman Sarbanes. “That’s why I am proud to see my bipartisan legislation requiring hospital-based health care providers to use unique identifiers for each of their provider-based facilities pass the House. This small, commonsense change will allow CMS to more effectively assess the accuracy of claims and drive down costs for seniors on Medicare. Americans deserve accessible and affordable health care, and I will continue advocating for the entire Lower Costs, More Transparency package until it reaches the President’s desk for signature.”
Along with the Congressman’s legislation, the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act makes health care more affordable and accessible for millions of Americans by:
Strengthening requirements for pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to report on their drug pricing practices – including total spending, rebates and out-of-pocket costs;
Providing $4.4 billion – a ten percent increase – in mandatory Fiscal Year 2024 and 2025 funding for Community Health Centers, which deliver vital services – including through school-based health centers – to one-third of individuals living in poverty; and
Bolstering programs that build a strong, diverse health care workforce by increasing funding for the National Health Service Corps by 13 percent for two years and providing an historic 137 percent increase in funding for the Teaching Health Centers Graduate Medical Education (TCHGME) program for seven years.
A full section by section summary of the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act is available here.
