**The package includes several provisions championed by Kuster**

Washington, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) applauded House passage of the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act, bipartisan legislation to make health care more affordable and accessible through increased transparency, investments in key public health programs, and policies that reduce the cost of health care services and prescription drugs.  

“For too many patients in New Hampshire and across the country, high costs and a confusing health care landscape are barriers to accessing the services and medicines they need. We can and must do better,” said Kuster. “New Hampshire families deserve to know what they’re being charged for and why at the doctor's office and the pharmacy counter. I’m pleased that my bills to reduce unnecessary red tape and increase transparency in our health care system were included in this package. While this bill is an important step forward, I’ll keep working to lower costs and make health care more accessible for all.” 

The Lower Costs, More Transparency Act includes important measures to bring more transparency to the health care system. By requiring transparency from hospitals, health plans, and pharmacy benefit managers, the cost of treatment and medications will be easier for Granite Staters to navigate and understand. Additionally, the legislation includes a historic $15 billion in investments in safety net and workforce programs, including Community Health Centers and programs to address physician shortages nationwide. 

Kuster is a fierce advocate for making health care more affordable and accessible. The Lower Cost, More Transparency Act includes several of Kuster’s provisions, including:

• H.R. 2679, PBM Accountability Act, requires Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) to semi-annually provide employers with detailed data on prescription drug spending, including the acquisition cost of drugs, total out-of-pocket spending, formulary placement rationale, and aggregate rebate information;

• H.R. 3839, Increasing Transparency in Generic Drug Applications Act, which requires the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to disclose to new generic drug applicants what ingredients, if any, cause a drug to be quantitatively or qualitatively different from the listed “brand” drug for purposes of establishing sameness in the formulation; and

• H.R. 3417, Facilitating Accountability In Reimbursements (FAIR) AIR Act, which harmonizes billing practices in off-campus hospital outpatient facilities to reflect the site of care by requiring each off-campus outpatient department of a Medicare provider to obtain and include a national provider identifier on billings for claims for services. Additionally, this section requires the HHS Office of the Inspector General to review the compliance of a previous Medicare payment revision.

###