This week, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., applauded President Donald Trump for offering an executive order directing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to have hospitals and insurance companies reveal service rates and out-of-pocket expenses.
Trump issued the executive order on Monday.
“We are fundamentally changing the nature of the health care marketplace,” Trump said.
Scott, who worked in healthcare before being elected governor of Florida in 2010, cheered the news.
“Patients should know exactly what their medical procedures and prescription drugs cost before they ever get a bill,” Scott said. “And just like in every other industry, American consumers should have the ability to shop around for the best deal. I applaud the president’s action to make information on out-of-pocket spending more readily available and to require hospitals to publicly disclose prices. I am fighting every day to give patients the information they need to make informed decisions for themselves and their families, and I support these efforts. Even in the hyper-partisan, dysfunctional world of Washington, D.C., creating more transparency in the healthcare system is something we must all support to help families across our nation.”
Back in April, the Florida Republican brought out the “Transparent Drug Pricing Act” which, he claimed, “promotes transparency in drug pricing and reduces the cost of prescription drugs for American consumers.”
The proposal would attempt to make prices more transparent, offer more choices to consumers by having insurance companies inform them about the costs of prescriptions and try to ensure drug companies keep prices in line with the discounts they offer in the international market.
Last month, Scott insisted the proposal was the “American First” drug plan.
Reach Kevin Derby at kevin.derby@floridadaily.com.
