HELP Committee Field Hearings in Louisiana
- 7 days ago
- 1 min read
The U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee traveled to Louisiana recently for field hearings focused on improving healthcare affordability. The hearings brought together patients, providers and local experts to discuss the growing challenges facing communities across the country.
Throughout the hearing, witnesses described a healthcare system that’s increasingly difficult to navigate, including growing concerns over the influence of vertically integrated health insurers and their pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).
Included below are some highlights from the hearing.
Chairman Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) emphasized that healthcare affordability has become one of the biggest financial burdens facing American families and businesses, and argued for more transparency.
Kathy Oubre, CEO of the Pontchartrain Cancer Center, described how consolidation in the healthcare marketplace has raised prices and limited patient choice without improving quality.
Independent pharmacist T.J. Woodard testified that PBMs have become one of the largest drivers of rising prescription drug costs and reduced competition in healthcare. He argued that vertically integrated PBMs now exert enormous control over pricing, pharmacy access and reimbursement decisions, creating financial pressure on independent pharmacies and limiting patient choice.
Learn more about policy solutions here.