WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) applauded House passage of bipartisan legislation to lower health care costs, improve transparency and expand access to care.

“American families deserve better information on the actual cost of health services and prescription drugs so they can make informed decisions and keep more money in their wallets,” said Castor. “High costs often cause our neighbors to delay or forgo medical care, and nearly all of us have experienced the great uncertainty of waiting for a medical bill to see what we actually owe. Our bipartisan package out of my Energy & Commerce Committee requires hospitals to make public and display all standard charges for services and requires insurers to make public their negotiated in-network and out-of-network provider rates while improving the quality of care for all our neighbors.”

In addition to greater transparency for the hospital services, the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act requires greater price transparency from pharmacy benefit managers  (PBMs) so that employers and health plans can negotiate lower prices for employees. The bill also ensures that our Community Health Centers, National Health Service Corps, and Teaching Health Centers that serve families across the Tampa Bay area can continue their important missions to provide high quality, affordable health care. Local providers like Tampa Family Health Centers and Evara Health can use these resources to help address doctor shortages and deliver care to ensure no one falls through the cracks.

As our nation continues to battle the opioid epidemic, it is imperative that Congress continues to tackle the ongoing opioid overdose crisis. Nearly 110,000 people died in the U.S. from drug overdoses in 2022, with almost 1 in 6 Americans aged 12 and older reporting having a substance use disorder. The Support for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act will reauthorize key parts of a landmark 2018 law, continuing existing initiatives (many of which expired in September) and creating new policies to help combat the opioid epidemic. This includes public health initiatives focused on prevention, treatment, and recovery for patients with substance use disorder and the expansion of Medicaid coverage for our neighbors battling with substance use disorder and other mental health conditions

America also can improve care for mothers and babies and address the maternal mortality crisis. Preterm birth, when a baby is born before 37 weeks, is increasing at startling rates across the United States, impacting 383,000 babies and families each year (almost 11% of all live births!) Premature babies have more health problems, need to stay in the hospital longer than other babies and have a tremendous emotional and financial impact on families. Pre-term related causes account for approximately 36% of infant deaths in the U.S. Since 2006, Congress has expanded research and developed a public-private agenda aimed at reducing preterm birth and its consequences. The Prematurity Research Expansion and Education of Mothers who deliver Infants Early (PREEMIE) Reauthorization Act will renew our government’s commitment to addressing preterm birth through federal research and data collection while promoting evidence-based best practices aimed at supporting healthy pregnancies and preventing adverse birth outcomes.