Barrett Announces Second Package of Bills to Make Health Care Affordable Again

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Tom Barrett (MI-07) today unveiled the second package of legislation to Make Health Care Affordable Again, the third pillar of his Blueprint for a Better America. The two bills are designed to lower health care costs for patients by expanding access and eligible expenses for tax-free health savings accounts, requiring transparent medical pricing, and preventing big insurance companies from forcing patients to buy more expensive medications.

"Michigan patients are sick and tired of paying too much to see a doctor and get the treatment and medicine they need," said Barrett. "Big insurers rack up profits while hiking premiums on families and using convoluted pricing schemes to decide what services they'll cover and how much they'll pay for care. These bills will help finally put patients back in charge of their health care and drive down costs by requiring price transparency, enabling patients to choose more affordable prescriptions, and expanding health savings accounts so any American can pay for insurance premiums and health care tax-free. We're also empowering people to live healthy lifestyles by letting them use those tax-free health savings accounts to pay for nutritious food, fitness classes, gym memberships, and more."

Barrett joined Representative Eric Burlison (MO-07) in introducing the Great American Healthcare Plan (H.R. 8324), which would tackle health care costs by making a number of sweeping reforms:

• Health Savings Accounts: Removes outdated restrictions that limit access to HSAs and significantly increases contribution limits, allowing more Americans to save and spend their health care dollars tax-free. It also expands eligible expenses to include insurance premiums and wellness essentials, such as healthy food, vitamins, and fitness-related costs.
• Price Transparency:Strengthens federal transparency requirements by requiring hospitals and insurers to disclose actual prices in clear, dollar-based terms. It also establishes enforcement mechanisms to ensure compliance, giving patients the ability to compare costs before receiving care.
• Prescription Drugs:Lowers the cost of obtaining some prescriptions by allowing licensed physician assistants, pharmacists, and other qualified health care professionals to dispense or administer certain low-risk medicines without a physician.
• Insurance for Small-Business Employees:Creates health marketplace pools allowing small businesses to group together to provide their employees better, more affordable health insurance.
• Coverage for Cancer Treatment:Ensures seniors can access certain expensive cancer treatments and other complex drugs by restoring fair reimbursement for providers through Medicare Part B.

Barrett also co-sponsored the Every Dollar Counts Act (H.R. 8270), which would require insurance companies to count every dollar a patient spends on prescription drugs toward the insurance plan's deductible and out-of-pocket cost maximum. Many insurers refuse to count prescription drug expenses unless purchased from an in-network pharmacy, often forcing patients to pay higher prices than they would for the same medication at an out-of-network pharmacy or mail-order service. The Every Dollar Counts Act will allow patients to shop for more affordable prescriptions.

The two new bills build on a six-bill package Barrett announced last month to force insurers to spend more of their revenues on health care, expand access to HSAs, prevent insurance fraud, ensure American patients pay prescription prices comparable to prices in other countries, allow working seniors to continue contributing to HSAs, and more. Barrett also introduced another bill earlier this month to improve customer service for Medicare.

About Barrett's Blueprint for a Better America:

• Restoring Trust in Government: Making Government Serve the People, Not Special Interests
• Reviving the American Dream: Helping Families Afford Homes in Mid-Michigan
• Making Health Care Affordable Again: Lowering Costs for Working Families
• Recalibrating American Foreign Policy: Ending Endless Wars and Promoting Peace Through Strength

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