Lamar Alexander

Lamar Alexander @SenAlexander

That is why I am especially glad that 65 senators, including nearly every member of this committee, have worked together on the #LowerHealthCareCosts Act, which takes needed steps to actually bring down the cost of health care that Americans pay for out of their own pockets. — PolitiTweet.org

Lamar Alexander @SenAlexander

The reality is we will never have lower cost health insurance until we have lower cost health care. — PolitiTweet.org

Lamar Alexander @SenAlexander

I hope we will today vote to approve this legislative package so we can present it to @senatemajldr McConnell and Minority Leader @SenSchumer for the full Senate to consider next month. I would expect that other committees will have their own contributions. — PolitiTweet.org

Lamar Alexander @SenAlexander

And there is a proposal to improve access to mental health care led by Senators @SenBillCassidy and @ChrisMurphyCT, building on their work in the HELP Committee that became law as part of the response to the opioid crisis. — PolitiTweet.org

Lamar Alexander @SenAlexander

…will expand the use of technology-based health care models to help patients in rural and underserved areas access specialized health care. — PolitiTweet.org

Lamar Alexander @SenAlexander

A provision from @SenBrianSchatz, @SenCapito, @SenBillCassidy, @SenatorCollins, Senator @MartinHeinrich, @SenHydeSmith, Senator @TimKaine, @SenAngusKing, Senator @lisamurkowski, and @SenatorTomUdall… — PolitiTweet.org

Lamar Alexander @SenAlexander

There is a provision to help communities prevent and reduce obesity, offered by @SenatorTimScott and @SenDougJones. — PolitiTweet.org

Lamar Alexander @SenAlexander

It will support state and local efforts to increase vaccination rates and will help prevent disease outbreaks, through two proposals worked on by @SenPatRoberts, @SenGaryPeters, and @SenDuckworth. — PolitiTweet.org

Lamar Alexander @SenAlexander

This is from @SenBillCassidy, @SenToddYoung, Senator @lisamurkowski, @SenJoniErnst, @SenJohnKennedy, @SenDanSullivan, @SenKevinCramer, @SenatorBraun, @SenatorHassan, @SenatorCarper, @SenatorBennet, @SenSherrodBrown, @SenatorCardin, @SenBobCasey, @SenWhitehouse, & @SenJackyRosen. — PolitiTweet.org

Lamar Alexander @SenAlexander

Requiring doctors and insurers to provide patients with price quotes on their expected out-of-pocket costs for care, so patients are able to shop around. — PolitiTweet.org

Lamar Alexander @SenAlexander

…and requires hospitals to send all bills within 45 calendar days to protect patients from receiving unexpected bills many months after care, a provision worked on by @SenatorEnzi and @SenBobCasey. — PolitiTweet.org

Lamar Alexander @SenAlexander

Requiring health care facilities to provide a summary of services when a patient is discharged from a hospital to make it easier to track bills… — PolitiTweet.org

Lamar Alexander @SenAlexander

This proposal from @SenBillCassidy and @SenatorBennet would allow an employer to know that a knee replacement might cost $15,000 in one hospital and $35,000 at another hospital. — PolitiTweet.org

Lamar Alexander @SenAlexander

This legislation creates more transparency by: Banning gag clauses that prevent employers and patients from knowing the true price and quality of health care services. — PolitiTweet.org

Lamar Alexander @SenAlexander

Modernizing outdated labeling of certain generic drugs, offered by @SenatorBennet and @SenatorEnzi. — PolitiTweet.org

Lamar Alexander @SenAlexander

Eliminating a loophole that allows drug companies to get exclusivity – and delay less costly alternatives from coming to market – just by making small tweaks to an old drug, a proposal from @SenPatRoberts, @SenBillCassidy, and @SenTinaSmith. — PolitiTweet.org

Lamar Alexander @SenAlexander

Clarifying that the makers of brand biological products, such as insulin, are not gaming the system to delay new, lower cost biosimilars from coming to market, from @SenTinaSmith, @SenBillCassidy, and @SenKevinCramer. — PolitiTweet.org

Lamar Alexander @SenAlexander

Preventing the abuse of citizens’ petitions that can unnecessarily delay drug approvals, from @SenCoryGardner, @SenatorShaheen, @SenBillCassidy, @SenatorBennet, @SenKevinCramer, and @SenatorBraun. — PolitiTweet.org

Lamar Alexander @SenAlexander

Improving the @US_FDA’s drug patent database by keeping it more up to date – to help generic drug companies speed product development, a proposal offered by @SenBillCassidy and @SenatorDurbin. — PolitiTweet.org

Lamar Alexander @SenAlexander

.@SenatorCollins, Senator @TimKaine, @SenatorBraun, @SenHawleyPress, Senator @lisamurkowski, Senator @RandPaul, @senrobportman, @SenatorShaheen, and @SenStabenow worked on this provision. — PolitiTweet.org

Lamar Alexander @SenAlexander

This legislation will bring more generic and biosimilar drugs to market faster and lower the cost of prescription drugs by: Helping biosimilar companies speed drug development through a transparent, modernized and searchable patent database. — PolitiTweet.org

Lamar Alexander @SenAlexander

It is time to stop studying the issue of exorbitant air ambulance charges and take action. Our legislation will treat air ambulances the same as health care providers – by using the local, commercial market-based rate for in-network health care. — PolitiTweet.org

Lamar Alexander @SenAlexander

We have also extended this protection to air ambulances because according to the @USGAO, nearly 70% of air ambulance transports were out-of-network in 2017 & the median price charged by providers was about $36K for a helicopter transport & $40K for a fixed-wing transport. — PolitiTweet.org

Lamar Alexander @SenAlexander

The @USCBO has indicated that the benchmark solution is the most effective at lowering health care costs and Chairman @FrankPallone and Ranking Member @repgregwalden have recommended this proposal to the House of Representatives. — PolitiTweet.org

Lamar Alexander @SenAlexander

This is a change for me because I was inclined to support an in-network guarantee since I believe it is the simplest solution. Some of my colleagues are inclined to support a new independent system of dispute resolution, known as arbitration. — PolitiTweet.org

Lamar Alexander @SenAlexander

…that in-network doctors and hospitals receive for the same services in their local geographic area, known as the benchmark solution. — PolitiTweet.org

Lamar Alexander @SenAlexander

Senator @PattyMurray and I have agreed on a recommendation to our colleagues that the best way to protect patients from surprise medical bills is to pay doctors and hospitals that are out-of-network the median contracted rate… — PolitiTweet.org

Lamar Alexander @SenAlexander

.@SenBillCassidy, @SenatorHassan, and Senator @lisamurkowski have done valuable work to solve surprise medical billing by proposing a solution last fall and again this spring, and lighting a fire under Congress to end this harmful practice. — PolitiTweet.org

Lamar Alexander @SenAlexander

Ensures that patients do not receive a surprise medical bill – which is when you unexpectedly receive a $300 bill, or even a $3,000 bill, two months after your surgery because one of your doctors was outside of your insurance network. — PolitiTweet.org

Lamar Alexander @SenAlexander

Here are a few of the ways this legislation will lower health care costs. — PolitiTweet.org