A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate on the need for common sense solutions to improve health care delivery and affordability for all people of the United States.

III 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION S. RES. 777 Expressing the sense of the Senate on the need for common sense solutions to improve health care delivery and affordability for all people of the United States. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES NOVEMBER 18, 2020 Mr. PERDUE (for himself and Mrs. LOEFFLER) submitted the following reso- lution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions RESOLUTION Expressing the sense of the Senate on the need for common sense solutions to improve health care delivery and af- fordability for all people of the United States. Whereas the public health emergency that the United States is currently facing has highlighted the need for common sense solutions to improve health care delivery and af- fordability; Whereas Congress has acted quickly to protect health care for the people of the United States in the wake of the COVID–19 pandemic, including expanding access to tele- health, providing coverage for COVID–19 tests and vac- cines, and supporting health care providers; VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:15 Nov 19, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR777.IS SR777 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •SRES 777 IS Whereas health insurance premiums increased by nearly 105 percent between 2013 and 2017, thereby making health care coverage both unaffordable and inaccessible for many people of the United States; and Whereas nearly 134 rural hospitals have closed their doors since 2010 and the public health emergency has exacer- bated the rural health crisis: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that all 1 people of the United States should have access to health 2 care coverage with— 3 (1) protections if they have pre-existing medical 4 conditions, including— 5 (A) guarantees that no citizen of the 6 United States can be denied health insurance 7 coverage as a result of a previous illness or 8 health status; 9 (B) guarantees that no citizen of the 10 United States can be charged a higher premium 11 or cost sharing as a result of a previous illness 12 or health status; and 13 (C) access to health care to ensure that the 14 people of the United States with pre-existing 15 medical conditions can afford to receive their 16 care; 17 (2) lower costs of prescription drugs and de- 18 vices, which can be accomplished by— 19 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:15 Nov 19, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR777.IS SR777 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •SRES 777 IS (A) cutting red tape in the regulatory proc- 1 ess to bring new drugs and devices to market 2 more rapidly; 3 (B) lowering prices through enhanced com- 4 petition by reforming outdated and archaic pat- 5 ent and trademark laws; 6 (C) ensuring transparency in the drug sup- 7 ply chain; 8 (D) incentivizing domestic manufacturing 9 and ending drug shortages; and 10 (E) promoting policies that ensure the peo- 11 ple of the United States are not solely respon- 12 sible for financing the biopharmaceutical inno- 13 vation that the world depends on; 14 (3) lower insurance premiums through in- 15 creased choice and competition, including through— 16 (A) the availability of transparent informa- 17 tion related to the price of health insurance pre- 18 miums and health care procedures so patients 19 can make informed decisions about their care; 20 (B) access to association health plans, 21 which have led to average premium decreases of 22 up to 29 percent for small business owners; 23 (C) State flexibility to do what is best for 24 communities in that State, which in some cases 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:15 Nov 19, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR777.IS SR777 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •SRES 777 IS has lowered health insurance premiums up to 1 43 percent; 2 (D) the establishment of tax-free personal 3 health management accounts to empower pa- 4 tients to afford and personalize their own 5 health care arrangements; and 6 (E) expanded access to more doctors and 7 specialists for veterans, those struggling with 8 mental illness, and those who live in rural 9 areas; 10 (4) protections from surprise medical bills, in- 11 cluding holding a patient harmless from surprise 12 medical bills and making sure patients receive bills 13 in a timely way; and 14 (5) safeguards from costly defensive medicine in 15 the health care system, that reflect medical mal- 16 practice reform that addresses the additional costs 17 in the medical system that do not improve quality of 18 care. 19 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:15 Nov 19, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\SR777.IS SR777 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS