Weekly Column: Working For Idahoans As Chairman Of The Senate Finance Committee--Health Care Priorities

My position as Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee gives Idahoans a strong voice in shaping our nation’s health care programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, and I am committed to ensuring Idahoans have access to effective, high-quality, affordable health care.  A large part of that effort includes continuing the bipartisan work of previous Congresses on issues like expanding access in rural communities, bringing much-needed transparency to prescription drug prices and ensuring long-term payment stability for care providers.

More than a quarter of Idahoans call our vibrant rural communities home.  Yet, for far too many, living in these remote areas creates barriers to accessible, reliable, high-quality health care.  The Committee will continue its work of shoring up telehealth capabilities, expanding mental health care resources and preventing rural closures in these communities.  While telehealth is essential, Idaho's 51 rural hospitals and numerous other medical facilities must also maintain strong in-person care through a well-trained, well-resourced workforce.  By expanding training programs for health care professionals, we can bolster care for families and strengthen our communities.

The Committee will also press forward with much-needed pharmacy benefit manager reform to address problematic practices that drive up costs for patients and jeopardize pharmacies’ viability and financial stability.  We will also work toward modernizing Medicare’s prescription drug benefits to drive down patient costs at the counter and save billions of taxpayer dollars.

Addressing the chronic disease epidemic requires a comprehensive approach.  Chronic conditions such as diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, metabolic disease and heart disease--the leading cause of death in Idaho--strain our health care system and burden countless families.  Working with the Trump Administration to break down financial and administrative barriers, including by improving primary care, strengthening Medicare’s chronic-care benefits and incentivizing alternative payment models that reward high-quality care at lower costs, will lead to better health outcomes for Idahoans.  Additionally, providing doctors with long-term payment stability will ensure they can focus on delivering the best care possible to patients.

The best care for Idahoans includes receiving the best medicines and treatments available.  While America remains the world’s leader in biopharmaceutical innovation, adversaries like China threaten our global dominance.  It is important the Senate Finance Committee conduct aggressive oversight of rushed, partisan laws like the Inflation Reduction Act and enact policies that mitigate its adverse consequences on patients, innovators and taxpayers. 

Accessing high-quality, affordable health care can at times feel like untangling a complicated knot.  But through bipartisan collaboration, fiscally-responsible policy and targeted interventions, we can truly ensure every Idahoan has access to the world-class care they deserve.

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