Lawmakers are weighing options to boost industry competition and rein in costs for patients.
Healthcare-industry consolidation was in the spotlight Wednesday, with lawmakers and health-policy experts examining ways to boost competition and drive down patients’ costs — even as a major new health-system combination was announced.
Industry mergers are driving up healthcare costs without providing any clear improvements in the quality of care provided, several policy experts and lawmakers said at a hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s health subcommittee that was focused on reining in costs. “With this new approach, we aim to address healthcare affordability and improve outcomes,” Steve Shivinsky, spokesperson for Kaiser Permanente, told MarketWatch. Risant aims to respond to current pressures in the industry, including inflation, increased labor costs, and consolidation, “with a value-based care approach that improves quality while keeping the focus on the mission of these community-based hospital systems,” he said.
Nearly four in 10 Americans said they or a family member had postponed medical treatment in 2022 due to cost, according to a Gallup poll conducted late last year. That was the highest level in the 22 years that Gallup has been tracking the trend. The cost concerns aren’t limited to the uninsured: About one-third of insured adults worry about affording their monthly health-insurance premium, according to health-policy nonprofit KFF.
Concentration among pharmacy-benefit managers, or PBMs, which manage prescription-drug benefits on behalf of insurers, large employers and other payers, is also a concern, some lawmakers and policy experts said. About 80% of all prescription-drug claims are processed by three companies, the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Republican staff said in a memo prepared for the hearing, with vertical integration also a concern as PBMs acquire pharmacies.
México Últimas Noticias, México Titulares
Similar News:También puedes leer noticias similares a ésta que hemos recopilado de otras fuentes de noticias.
Two dead in Capitol Hill from apparent murder-suicidePolice are investigating a murder-suicide that left two people dead in Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood over the weekend.
Leer más »
Capitol food fight: Arizona lawmakers fail to override veto of cottage food billGov. Katie Hobbs vetoed House Bill 2509, which would have expanded the homemade foods that people could sell legally, including hot foods, like tamales.
Leer más »
Drag queens blast Ron DeSantis, Florida lawmakers at Capitol protestHundreds of drag queens and allies rallied in Florida on Tuesday to protest Governor Ron DeSantis and state GOP lawmakers' efforts to limit LGBTQ+ rights.
Leer más »
Texas bill to protect healthcare workers from violence heads to Abbott's deskSB 240 is the first piece of legislation to pass and head to the governor's desk during the 88th legislative session, says its authors state Sen. Donna Campbell and state Rep. Donna Howard.
Leer más »
Iowa Lawmakers Considering Bill to Loosen Child Labor LawsLawmakers in Iowa’s Senate passed a controversial bill April 18 that would allow minors to work longer hours and work in currently banned roles, like serving alcohol at restaurants, the Des Moines Register reported.
Leer más »
Biden Praises 'Tennessee Three' During White House VisitThree Democratic Tennessee lawmakers that faced expulsion votes earlier this month visited the White House Monday to call for a public health emergency on gun violence. See potential bias and similarities in coverage from thehill, dcexaminer, and CNN:
Leer más »