Chairman's Press
Eugene Scalia Letter of Support from Former Labor Officials
The Honorable Lamar Alexander Chairman Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions U.S. Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable Patty Murray Ranking Member Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions U.S. Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 August 30, 2019 Dear Chairman Alexander and Ranking Member Murray, We formerly served in various leadership positions as career attorneys and, in one case, as the Chief Administrative Law Judge, in the United States Depar… Continue Reading
07.31.19
Alexander Statement on Trump Administration Drug Importation Plan
WASHINGTON, July 31, 2019 - Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement on the Trump Administration's drug importation action plan: "This is the first administration to take concrete steps to allow importation of prescription drugs to reduce their cost and I welcome it. The key for me is whether this plan preserves the Food and Drug Administration's gold standard for safety and effectiveness. Millions of Americans every day buy prescription … Continue Reading
07.24.19
Alexander, Murray Statement on the Lower Health Care Costs Act
WASHINGTON, July 24 - Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.) today released the following statement on the bipartisan Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019: "The Senate does not have time before the August recess to consider the bipartisan Lower Health Care Costs Act, which the Senate's health committee approved 20-3 on June 26, and includes proposals from 74 of our colleagues-35 Republican and 39 Democratic Senators. "We are engaged … Continue Reading
07.16.19
Alexander: CBO Says Lower Health Care Costs Act Will Reduce Health Insurance Premiums, Lower Prescription Drug Costs
WASHINGTON, July 16, 2019 - The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) today said that the Lower Health Care Costs Act-legislation sponsored by Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.), which contains 55 specific provisions from 65 different Senators-will reduce health insurance premiums and lower prescription drug costs. "The Lower Health Care Costs Act contains 55 provisions from 65 different Senators all aimed at reducing wh… Continue Reading
07.12.19
Employers Voice Support for Senate Health Committee Legislation to Reduce Health Care Costs
WASHINGTON, July 12, 2019 - Employers across the country are voicing their support for the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019, bipartisan legislation to reduce what Americans pay out of their own pockets for health care, which the Senate health committee approved by a vote of 20-3 in June and includes 55 proposals from 65 senators - 36 Democrats and 29 Republicans. 181 million Americans get their health insurance on the job, and the unsustainably high cost of health care adds to the cost of … Continue Reading
07.10.19
Alexander: Instead of Perpetual Partisan Argument Over Obamacare, There’s A Surge of Bipartisan Cooperation to Lower Drug Prices
"The question I hear most often is, 'How can I reduce what Americans pay for health care out of their own pockets?' And the most obvious out-of-pocket cost for most Americans is what we pay for prescription drugs. …Last month, the Senate health committee passed legislation, by a vote of 20-3, that included fourteen bipartisan provisions to increase prescription drug competition to help more lower-cost generic and biosimilar drugs reach patients." - Chairman Lamar Alexander WASHINGTON, Ju… Continue Reading
06.26.19
Alexander: Senate Health Committee Votes 20 to 3 for Bipartisan Bill to Reduce Health Care Costs
"This legislation helps Americans in three major ways: It ends surprise billing, creates more transparency, and increases competition to bring down prescription drug costs." - Chairman Lamar Alexander WASHINGTON, June 26, 2019 - The Senate health committee today approved by a vote of 20-3 the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019, legislation that includes 54 proposals from 65 senators - 36 Democrats and 29 Republicans. "The Lower Health Care Costs Act will reduce what Americans pay out of t… Continue Reading
06.25.19
Groups Continue to Voice Support for Senate Health Committee Legislation to Reduce Health Care Costs
WASHINGTON, June 25, 2019 - After Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.) introduced the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019, policy experts and advocacy organizations across the spectrum voiced their support of the bipartisan legislation to deliver better health care at lower cost. National Association of Insurance Commissioners: "We are writing to express our appreciation for your efforts to call attention to and attempt to address … Continue Reading
06.24.19
Alexander Statement on Health Care Costs Executive Order
WASHINGTON, June 24, 2019 - Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement after the Trump Administration announced an Executive Order to increase price transparency in the health care industry and expand access to direct primary care: "This Executive Order is consistent with bipartisan efforts in the Senate to increase price transparency in health care costs. Patients can't know how to reduce the cost of their health care unless they know what… Continue Reading
06.19.19
Senate Health Committee Leaders Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Reduce Health Care Costs
WASHINGTON, June 19, 2019 - Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.) today introduced S.1895, the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019 - bipartisan legislation to deliver better health care at lower cost. Chairman Alexander and Ranking Member Murray announced that the committee will vote on the legislation on June 26, 2019. "The single issue I hear most about from Tennesseans is, 'What are you going to do about the health care costs I p… Continue Reading
06.18.19
Alexander: Bipartisan Legislation Will Lower What Americans Pay Out of Their Own Pockets for Health Care
"This legislation will reduce what Americans pay out of their own pockets for health care in three major ways: First, it ends surprise billing; Second, it creates more transparency - there are seven bipartisan provisions that will: eliminate gag clauses and anti-competitive terms in insurance contracts, designate a non-profit entity to unlock insurance claims for employers, ban Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBM) from charging more for a drug than the PBM paid for the drug, and require patients to b… Continue Reading
06.05.19
Alexander Statement on Finance Committee Foreign Influence Hearing
NASHVILLE, June 5, 2019 - Senate Health Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) released the following statement on today's Senate Finance Committee hearing on foreign influence in scientific research: "It is hard to think of a major scientific advancement since World War II that has not been supported by federal research funding. Scientists from other countries have played an important role in research funded by the United States government-since 2000, 33 Americans who were born in other … Continue Reading
05.23.19
Senate Health Committee Leaders Release Bipartisan Discussion Draft Legislation to Reduce Health Care Costs
WASHINGTON, May 23, 2019 - Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.) today released the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019-bipartisan discussion draft legislation to reduce health care costs. "There's one issue I hear a lot about from Tennesseans, and it is, 'What are you going to do about the health care costs I pay for out of my own pocket?' Well, we've got an answer," said Chairman Alexander. "Republicans and Democrats in the United… Continue Reading
05.14.19
Senate Passes Alexander, Bennet Resolution Celebrating 20th Annual National Charter Schools Week
WASHINGTON, May 14, 2019 - This week, the U.S. Senate passed Senate education committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Senator Michael Bennet's (D-Colo.) resolution celebrating the 20th annual National Charter Schools Week, which runs from May 12 through May 18, 2019, and commends the students, parents, teachers, and leaders of our nation's more than 7,000 charter schools across 44 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. "Charter schools give teachers more freedom to teach and… Continue Reading
05.09.19
Chairman Alexander Statement on White House Surprise Medical Billing Event
WASHINGTON, May 9, 2019 - Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement after attending an event at the White House on surprise medical billing: "Ending surprise medical billing is a perfect example of how Congress and the president can work together to reduce out of pocket health care costs. Twenty percent of patients who visit the Emergency Room end up several weeks later with a several thousand dollar bill that they did not expect. I told t… Continue Reading
05.09.19
Alexander Statement on Administration Rule to Require Drug Companies to Disclose to Consumers List Prices on TV Ads
WASHINGTON, May 9, 2019 - Senate Health Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) released the following statement after the Trump Administration finalized a rule to require drug makers to disclose list prices to consumers in TV advertisements: "The Trump Administration rule is a smart idea because the more consumers know about drug prices the more likely those prices are to be lower. The Senate has already voted unanimously to make this happen last congress, and will work together again wit… Continue Reading
05.07.19
Chairman Alexander: HHS Should Be Careful Not To Go Too Far Too Fast on New Electronic Health Records Rules
"In 2015, I urged the Obama Administration to slow down implementation of Stage 3 of the Meaningful Use program, which incentivized doctors and hospitals to adopt electronic health records. They did not slow down, and looking back, the results would have been better if they had. I am especially interested in getting where we want to go with input from doctors, hospitals, vendors, and insurers, so we have less confusion, make the fewest possible mistakes and make sure we don't set some kind of u… Continue Reading
05.02.19
Chairman Alexander Statement on CBO Report on Medicare for All
WASHINGTON, May 2, 2019 - Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) released the following statement on the Congressional Budget Office report on Medicare for All: "The Congressional Budget Office confirmed that, under the Democrat Medicare for All scheme, Americans will lose the insurance they receive on the job-meaning that the 181 million Americans that the Census Bureau estimates have employer sponsored coverage could not keep their health insurance plan, even if they like … Continue Reading
05.01.19
Alexander: China’s Designation Today of Fentanyl as a Controlled Substance Will Save Thousands of American Lives
WASHINGTON, May 1, 2019 - United States Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said China's decision today to control all forms of fentanyl "will save thousands of American lives." Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that can be 100 times stronger than opioid prescription pills and is the source of the greatest increase in opioid overdoses in our country. Today, May 1, the Chinese government officially designated fentanyl as a controlled substance. At the urging of U.S. Ambassador to China, Terry Branst… Continue Reading
04.30.19
Alexander Statement on White House Meeting
WASHINGTON, April 30, 2019 - U.S. Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement: "I was glad to hear that the Alexander-Murray legislation came up in the White House meeting today. It is probably the best known piece of good legislation in my 17 years in the Senate that has yet to become law. "Senator Murray and I worked hard and well together for eight months with full support from President Trump to come up with an agreement that independen… Continue Reading
