Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Greg Walden (R-OR) released the following statement on health care provisions included in H.R. 1865, the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act.
“The CREATES Act, which was drawn from the bipartisan H.R. 19, the Lower Costs, More Cures Act, will prevent the anti-competitive behavior that denies patients more affordable generic options at the pharmacy counter. We also secured provisions to help get lower-cost, biosimilar insulin to the market faster.
“It’s unfortunate that politics got in the way of protecting patients from the rip-off of surprise medical billing. Americans who follow the rules and pay their insurance premiums shouldn’t get stuck with a $50,000 bill because a hospital contracted a neonatal intensive care unit to an out-of-network provider. We have a bipartisan, bicameral plan that is backed by the White House that will end this practice. We will keep up the effort to get this measure into law in the new year.
“We will not let solutions to these health care challenges be pushed aside by petty politics. I remain committed to working with my colleagues to deliver bipartisan solutions for patients, seniors, and families. I’ll work with anyone - Republicans and Democrats - to lower drug costs and protect patients from surprise medical billing. Fortunately, we have a President who is in full agreement with our effort," said Walden.
H.R. 1865 - Further Consolidated Appropriations Act passed the House of Representatives today and provided short term extensions for the following public health programs through May 22, 2020:
* Special Diabetes Program: supports research on the prevention and cure for Type 1 diabetes.
* Special Diabetes Program for Indians: supports diabetes treatment and prevention to the Indian Health Service, Tribal, and Urban Indian Health Programs.
* Community Health Centers: provide access to needed health care services for patients in underserved, often rural communities.
* National Health Service Corps: helps address physician and provider shortages in rural and underserved communities.
* Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program: supports new and expanded primary care medical and dental residency programs in community-based patient care settings.
