NILA Shares Concerns with House Leaders Regarding "Lower Costs, More Transparency Act"
In a September 18, 2023, letter to the Honorable Kevin McCarthy, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and the Honorable Hakeem Jeffries, Minority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, NILA expressed concerns with certain aspects of the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act. NILA supports the overarching goal of promoting price transparency in the health care sector, but is concerned that the well-placed intentions of the laboratory transparency section of the legislation will not achieve the desired goal of promoting access to treatments. This provision, originally introduced as the Diagnostic Laboratory Transparency Act, mandates that laboratories list the cash price for tests on their websites, along with the deidentified minimum and maximum negotiated rates between the laboratory and insurance companies. While this is meant to enhance transparency and empower patients, there are potential unintended consequences that warrant careful consideration.