Marilyn Bartlett (Photo: Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions)
A major new health care and health insurance cost control bill still includes a long agent and broker compensation provision — but senators don't seem to be eager to talk about it.
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee held a two-hour hearing on the Lower Health Care Costs Act bill draft Tuesday.
Senate HELP Chairman Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., and the highest-ranking Democrat on the committee, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., filed the bill later in the day. The bill now has a bill number: S. 1895.
Alexander and Murray said the Senate HELP Committee will vote on S. 1895 June 26.
The senators and witnesses at the health bill draft hearing talked about the surprise medical bills insured patients often get, even when they try to get care from in-network doctors and hospitals.
Participants also talked about air ambulance costs, telemedicine programs and insulin costs.
The producer comp disclosure provision came up just once: when Marilyn Barlett, an accountant, was talking about her experience with trying to cut costs at Montana's state health plan.
Bartlett's Testimony
Bartlett said she tried to find and act on every possible opportunity to cut costs.
She replaced the plan's pharmacy benefits manager; kicked a popular, but expensive, drug store chain out of the plan network; and hired a health plan administrator to help Montana cope with huge variations in hospital service prices, by negotiating plan-specific rate deals with all Montana hospitals.
"We are now paying a transparent and fair price, and this change on its own saved millions for our health plan," Bartlett said.
Bartlett also looked hard at Montana's relationships with health plan brokers and consultants.
