On the evening of Dec. 11, the U.S. House voted in favor of moving The Lower Costs, More Transparency Act forward.
The proposed legislation passed the House on a bipartisan 320-71 vote. Introduced Sept. 8, the bill would require hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, labs, imaging service providers and pharmacy benefit managers to meet new price transparency requirements, along with several additional provisions.
"This bipartisan legislation delivers on our commitment to lowering health care costs and providing increased transparency for patients — something 95 percent of Americans support," Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, House Energy and Commerce Committee chair, said in a Dec. 11 news release. "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."
Prior to its passing, the bill was met with some opposition from the American Hospital Association. In a Dec. 11 statement shared with Becker's, AHA President and CEO Rick Pollak urged Congress to oppose and rework the legislation should Medicare site-neutral cuts remain part of the package, out of concern these cuts could harm hospitals.
AHA told Becker's they have no further comment on the House's passing of the legislation.
The proposed bill is now headed to the Senate, and if passed, will go to President Joe Biden for final approval before becoming law.