Two Bilirakis Bills Pass the House as Part of Lower Costs, More Transparency Act

Washington, DC:  This week, the House passed the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act.  This robust healthcare package contains 17 bipartisan proposals to lower health care costs and increase price transparency for patients.  It will also ensure continuity for critical components of the nation’s healthcare system, such as Community Health Centers and support for hospitals that serve high numbers of indigent patients.  All of the provisions in the package are fully offset and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) indicates that the package, if signed into law, would reduce the federal deficit by more than $700 million.  Additionally, the package contains two measures co-authored by Congressman Bilirakis:  the Special Diabetes Program Reauthorization Act and the Providers and Payers COMPETE Act.  Additional information about both of these Bilirakis provisions are provided below. 

As Co-Chair of the Congressional Diabetes Caucus, Congressman Bilirakis is proud to co-author the Special Diabetes Program Reauthorization Act of 2023 which would continue funding a key federal diabetes research program that’s currently set to expire in January.  Extending the Special Diabetes Program for Type 1 Diabetes for an additional two years will ensure scientists can continue their ongoing efforts to find new ways to treat, prevent, and ultimately cure the disease. If the legislation is approved, it would provide the program with an increased funding level of $170 million annually through September 30, 2026. Congress first established the Special Diabetes Program in 1997 to develop new ways to treat and prevent Type 1 diabetes. In the decades since the program was started, it has provided researchers nearly $3 billion to study the disease and has led to several significant breakthroughs that have helped develop some of the newest treatments now available to patients.  Among the program’s successes is development of the first fully automated insulin-dosing system that’s now available to patients across the country. The program also discovered how to reverse vision loss in some people living with the disease. Diabetes remains the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.   In 2018, 37.3 million Americans – or 11.3% of the population – had the disease, while another 96 million Americans had prediabetes and were at risk of developing it. Until a cure is found, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts an additional 1.5 million Americans will be diagnosed with the disease every year.  “We’ve seen that research holds the promise for the development of better treatments and a potential cure for this chronic illness,” said Representative Bilirakis. “We must continue this essential investment to further advancements in this vital work.”

 The Providers and Payers COMPETE Act requires anannual report on the impact of Medicare regulations, such as the Physician Fee Schedule, on health care consolidation and an analysis of the effects of Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation demonstrations on health care consolidation, including provider and insurer consolidation.  “In recent years, we have seen a troubling trend of increased Medicare regulations that have made it more difficult for independent providers to compete in the marketplace.  The resulting consolidation leads to fewer options for patients,” noted Congressman Bilirakis. “Patients deserve healthcare options and it is important that we carefully examine the threat that consolidation poses to patient choice.  We must also develop a deeper understanding of contributing factors that discourage competition in the marketplace.”

The Lower Costs, More Transparency Act also includes the following pro-patient provisions that Bilirakis has supported throughout the legislative process:

• Lowers costs for patients and employers by requiring health insurers and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to disclose negotiated drug rebates and discounts, revealing the true costs of prescription drugs,
• Lowers out-of-pocket costs for seniors who receive medication at a hospital-owned outpatient facility or doctor’s office,
• Expands access to more affordable generic drugs,
• Equips employer health plans with the drug price information they need to get the best deal possible for their employees
• Maintains pro-life protections to ensure tax payer dollars are not used to fund abortions