Chairman Cassidy Calls on Congress, President Trump to Work Together to Lower Health Care Costs

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, delivered a speech on the U.S. Senate floor discussing how his Money and Value for Patients (MVP) agenda can make life more affordable.

"Don't give the money to the insurance companies. Give it to the patient," said Dr. Cassidy. "Advance the dollars to the patient in a health savings account that they can use to pay for that out-of-pocket expense."

"We can do this, but it will take a commitment from Congress and from the President of the United States to do it," continued Dr. Cassidy. "Let's be constructive. Let's acknowledge that this is something that we have to do together... "Ultimately, we have to make a decision as a Congress, as a government, to address the issue which is most pressing upon the American people: affordability."

Being the first physician to chair the committee, Cassidy has a unique perspective on making health care more affordable as he saw people struggle to afford the care they need while working in a hospital for the uninsured and poorly insured. During a floor speech last week, Cassidy asked President Trump to work with him to lower health care costs by giving money directly to patients, cutting out the middlemen, and increasing price transparency. Cassidy previously detailed his Money and Value for Patients (MVP) agenda in an op-ed and another floor speech.

President Trump recently signed Cassidy's PBM Reform Act into law, increasing price transparency and cracking down on middlemen that drive up prescription drug prices for patients. Cassidy also led the Health Care Freedom for Patients Act with U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) as an alternative to Democrats' plan to continue giving billions of dollars to giant insurance companies.

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