Prescriptions for Controlling Health Care Costs: Statement by Maya MacGuineas on House Republican Health Care Release

House Republicans took an important step today in issuing their recommendations for health care cost control in the proposal they released as part of their agenda, “A Better Way.”

Many of the proposed changes including reforming Medicare cost sharing rules, gradually increasing the Medicare eligibility age, transitioning to premium support in Medicare, limiting Medicaid spending growth, reforming medical malpractice laws, and capping the tax exclusion on employer provided health care could be quite beneficial in controlling costs.

Controlling the growth of health care spending generally is critical to putting our nation’s budget on a fiscally sustainable path. With today's Medicare Trustees report projecting that total Medicare costs will increase at an unsustainable rate over the next quarter century and the Hospital Insurance trust fund will run out by 2028, ideas to control health care costs are as important as ever.

While we have concerns about some items, such as repealing the Independent Payment Advisory Board and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, and the likely decrease in coverage, we applaud the overall focus on controlling costs. 

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For more information, contact Patrick Newton, press secretary, at newton@crfb.org.