In a full committee hearing, Ways and Means Republicans questioned Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra about provisions in President Biden’s budget that limit options and raise costs for Americans’ health care, and urged the Administration to work with Republicans on bipartisan solutions.
WATCH: Brady: Biden Health Budget Limits Options, Raises Costs for Americans
Republican Leader of the Ways and Means Committee Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX) warned that HHS’s bungled rollout of the “No Surprises Act” violates the bipartisan law as it is written.
“We crafted a bill that didn’t set rates for payment of out of network services. We established instead a level playing field that didn’t tip the scales, and a lot of people wanted the scales to be tipped either to the patients’ health plan or their provider. If we’d have gotten that wrong, patients would have suffered through more narrow networks and reduced access to care.[…] Can you tell us why the Administration intends to continue delaying the implementation, wasting resources appealing this decision, and pursuing an approach that flies directly in the face of the law that Congress passed?”
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“The President’s budget has no plan to save Medicare, which is expected to go broke,” Republican Leader of the Health Subcommittee Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) said, asking if Secretary Becerra had a plan to work with Republicans to address insolvency.
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Republican Leader on the Trade Subcommittee Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE) raised concern that proposals to expand crucial telehealth flexibilities are not included in the budget. “Many people are depending on telehealth, and it is not included in the budget. We are now going to see a cliff because of the deadlines and sunsets on telehealth.”
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READ: SURVEY: Americans Overwhelmingly Support Access to Telehealth
Republican Leader on the Social Security Subcommittee Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY) said that the Biden Administration’s drug pricing scheme does not lower the cost of prescription drugs. Rep. Reed said, “The bottom line is: is that the best you’ve got? We’re going to use the federal government’s authority to cap costs and not actually get to the actual cost issue? That’s the best this Administration’s coming up with to solve this problem?”
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READ: The TRUTH About the Democrats’ Insulin Bill: It Revives Their Tax and Spend Agenda
Republican Leader on the Oversight Subcommittee Rep. Tom Rice (R-SC) asked about the Biden Administration’s plan to address the life-threatening opioid epidemic. “Last year, over 10,000 pounds of fentanyl were seized. That’s more than the last three years combined, and 90 percent of it was seized on our southern border.”
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“Instead of advancing realistic solutions, the President’s budget continues to push the socialist spending agenda that drives inflation and doubles down on reckless spending,” Republican Leader on the Worker and Family Support Subcommittee Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-IN) warned.
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“The Administration’s Human Services agenda seems fixated on paying people not to work. This has kept people on the sidelines, creating the national worker shortage, and driving up costs to businesses and families. Now is the time to re-engage our workers by removing barriers to work,” said Rep. Carol Miller (R-WV), noting that the Administration’s budget worsens the labor shortage.
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