U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D., Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, announced on Apr. 15 the Money and Value for Patients (MVP) agenda aimed at making health care more affordable and empowering families in their medical choices.
The initiative is intended to address rising health care costs that affect American families. The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee works to legislate on public health, education, workforce issues and retirement programs with the goal of protecting health and supporting worker rights, according to the official website.
"Families can’t afford life. Much of that is driven by health care costs," said Dr. Cassidy. "As a doctor, I support President Trump’s call to give patients the power. The best way to do that is to put money in their pocket to cover their out-of-pocket costs and lower prices."
The MVP agenda includes three main strategies: providing direct financial assistance for patients' out-of-pocket expenses; enabling patients to access and compare actual prices for prescriptions and procedures; and addressing unhealthy foods as part of improving overall public health outcomes.
In the 119th Congress, Bill Cassidy served as chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee according to the official website. The committee influences federal regulations affecting health and education across the United States according to its official website.
Earlier this year President Trump signed into law Cassidy’s PBM Reform Act which aims at increasing price transparency in pharmaceuticals. Additionally, Cassidy led efforts with Senator Mike Crapo on legislation designed as an alternative approach regarding funding for insurance companies.
The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee provides oversight of federal laws and agencies in health and labor sectors according to its official website. It also focuses on federal policy within these sectors while overseeing agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and National Institutes of Health (NIH), as reported by its official site.
