Congressman Brett Guthrie, Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Morgan Griffith, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, announced on March 11 a hearing titled ‘Lowering Health Care Costs for All Americans: An Examination of the U.S. Provider Landscape.’
The hearing is part of a series focused on improving health care affordability for Americans. It will examine how providers and hospitals influence the cost of care, with attention to payment policies, competition, transparency, and other incentives that affect patient access and expenses.
“The third hearing in the Committee’s health care affordability series will examine the role that providers and hospitals play in shaping the cost of care for Americans,” Guthrie said. “Hospitals, physicians, and health care practitioners play a vital role in delivering health care services to patients. This hearing will explore how payment policies, competition, transparency, and other incentives shape patient access and the cost of care. We look forward to hearing from the panelists on potential solutions as the Committee continues working to make health care more affordable for the American people.”
Griffith said, “From consolidation in the insurance marketplace to predatory practices in the pharmaceutical drug supply chain, the Health Subcommittee continues to examine all angles in our push to lower health care costs for American patients. Accordingly, our next hearing will address the role of hospital providers to better understand what can be done to make health care more affordable for all Americans.”
The Subcommittee on Health’s hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, March 18 at 10:15 AM ET at 2123 Rayburn House Office Building. The event is open to both the public and press and will be livestreamed at energycommerce.house.gov.
A summary of written testimony from Barbara Merrill, Chief Executive Officer of ANCOR (American Network Of Community Options And Resources), highlights that community-based services supporting individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities are less costly than institutional alternatives under Medicaid. Merrill also notes ongoing challenges such as workforce shortages due to insufficient provider rates and concerns about reduced Medicaid funding impacting service sustainability.
For more information about this announcement or details regarding attendance or press inquiries, visit the official notice.
