WASHINGTON, D.C. — Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee Chairwoman Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA) passed ten bipartisan bills this week. The bills address physician shortages and reauthorize important public health programs across the country, lower the price of prescription drugs by increasing transparency in the drug supply chain, and end the practice of surprise medical billing from out-of-network providers.

"The Health Subcommittee marked up and passed ten bipartisan bills to improve the health of families across the country," Eshoo said. "We came together to address problems including surprise medical billing for patients, shed light on the agreements between insurers and pharmacy benefit managers that keep drug prices high, and secure funding for critical health programs such as Community Health Centers in my District which serve over 50,000 patients. I look forward to seeing these bills pass the full Committee and the House."

To watch Chairwoman Eshoo's opening statement, click HERE.

The Health Subcommittee's ten bipartisan bills help Americans access and afford quality health care in three major ways. The following bills invest in health care infrastructure and the workforce to address physician shortages and reauthorize public health programs in communities across the country:

• The Empower for Health Act and the Title VII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act reauthorize health care workforce development grants for five more years.
• The Autism CARES Act, the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act, the Emergency Medical Services for Children Act, and the Lifespan Respite Care Act allow important public health programs to continue to improve care for Americans across the course of their lifetimes for five more years.
• The Community Health, Investment, Modernization, and Excellence Act reauthorizes crucial health programs for four years that our communities rely on, such as Community Health Centers, the National Health Service Corps, the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program, and the Special Diabetes Programs.

The Subcommittee addressed the price of prescription drugs:

• The FAIR Drug Pricing Act shines a light on agreements between drug companies and the PBMs (the Pharmaceutical Benefit Managers). It will require drug manufacturers to justify large spikes in drug prices and will require PBMs to report the discounts they negotiate with drug manufacturers.

The Subcommittee tackled surprise medical bills:

• The No Surprises Act prohibits surprise billing and limits patient cost-sharing to the in-network amount for emergency services. Additionally, the bill prohibits surprise medical bills from facility-based providers that patients cannot reasonably choose, whether arising from emergency care or scheduled care.

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