Kentucky HCR 4: A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION urging the United States Congress to enact the Lower Health Care Costs Act.

Bill Text

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A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION urging the United States Congress to enact the 1
Lower Health Care Costs Act. 2
WHEREAS, health care costs are a top social concern for the majority of people in 3
the United States; and 4
WHEREAS, up to half of the $3.5 trillion Americans spent on health care in 2017 5
may have been unnecessary, according to testimony before the Senate health committee 6
from the National Academies; and 7
WHEREAS, the Lower Health Care Costs Act was introduced by Republican 8
Senator Lamar Alexander from Tennessee and cosponsored by Democratic Senator Patty 9
Murray from Washington; and 10
WHEREAS, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee 11
reported the Lower Health Care Costs Act out of committee by a vote of 20 to 3 on June 12
26, 2019; and 13
WHEREAS, the Lower Health Care Costs Act contains 55 proposals from 65 14
Senators, 29 of whom are Republican and 36 of whom are Democrats; and 15
WHEREAS, the Lower Health Care Costs Act will end surprise medical bills so 16
people do not receive unexpected bills after hospital visits, which happens 20 percent of 17
the time a person visits a hospital emergency room; and 18
WHEREAS, the Lower Health Care Costs Act contains 12 provisions that will help 19
people know the actual cost of their health care, including ending gag clauses on 20
employers and patients, ending pharmacy benefit manager markups of prescription drugs, 21
banning exclusive contracts between insurance companies and hospitals, creating a secure 22
claims database, requiring patients to be informed of estimated costs of non-emergency 23
health care prior to having a procedure, and requiring that patients receive all hospital 24
bills within 45 days of a procedure; and 25
WHEREAS, the Lower Health Care Costs Act contains several provisions that will 26
lower drug prices, including eliminating loopholes that prohibit small changes in drugs 27

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from blocking lower-priced generic drugs from coming to market; ending the abuse of 1
public participation in the drug approval process which can unnecessarily delay drug 2
approval; preventing brands from delaying generics and biosimilars, such as insulin, from 3
coming to market; improving the review process; and educating physicians to make more 4
generics and biosimilars available; and 5
WHEREAS, the Lower Health Care Costs Act extends funding for community 6
health centers and certain other federal health care programs; and 7
WHEREAS, the cost of health care produces great anxiety among many families, 8
forces individuals to delay or forego needed health care services, sometimes results in 9
family bankruptcy, and threatens the future well-being of all citizens of the United States; 10
NOW, THEREFORE, 11
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the General Assembly of the 12
Commonwealth of Kentucky, the Senate concurring therein: 13
Section 1. The Kentucky General Assembly hereby urges the United States 14
Congress to enact the Lower Health Care Costs Act to improve access and affordability of 15
health care for all. 16
Section 2. The Clerk of the House of Representatives shall send a copy of this 17
Resolution and notification of its adoption to the Speaker and Minority Leader of the 18
United States House of Representatives, the Majority Leader and Minority Leader of the 19
United States Senate, the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human 20
Services, and to each member of Kentucky's delegation to the United States Congress. 21