Submission for the Record

Alliance to Fight for Health Care

For the

Committee on Energy and Commerce

Subcommittee on Health

Of the

U.S. House of Representatives

“Lowering Health Care Costs for All Americans: An Examination of the U.S. Provider Landscape”

March 18, 2026

 

Chairman Griffith, Ranking Member DeGette, and members of the subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to submit the following statement for the record in conjunction with the hearing on “Lowering Health Care Costs for All Americans: An Examination of the U.S. Provider Landscape.”

 

Americans are calling for more affordable health care. The Alliance to Fight for Health Care is offering our 2026 Policy Agenda complete with concrete policy recommendations to lower health care prices for the more than 181 million working Americans covered by employer-sponsored insurance. The Alliance was founded with a vital mission: to protect and improve employer-provided coverage and ensure that high-quality, employer-sponsored insurance remains an affordable and accessible coverage option.

 

The Alliance to Fight for Health Care is a diverse coalition comprised of businesses, patient advocates, employer organizations, unions, health care companies, consumer groups, and other stakeholders that support employer-provided health coverage. We select policies collaboratively that our coalition views as meaningful steps that improve coverage and address issues in our health care system that increase health care costs for patients without adding value or increasing quality.

 

The Alliance is dedicated to pursuing policies that bring meaningful change — and cost savings — to our health care system and the patients it serves.

 

Core Legislative Priorities for 2026

 

The following priorities represent our primary focus for the current legislative session:

 

Protect Stable Coverage for the American Workforce: We will continue to vigorously defend the tax exclusion for employer-provided health insurance. This is the most effective tool for pooling risk and providing stable coverage to the American workforce. Employer-provided health care coverage efficiently and effectively covers more Americans than all other sources of coverage combined. Employer-provided coverage also produces substantial return on the federal government’s investment in it—both economically and when it comes to our health. For every dollar the government invests in the exclusion, employers invest $5.66 into the health care system—that’s a return on investment for taxpayers that would be very difficult for any other system to match.

 

Increase Hospital Price and Billing Transparency: Patients and payers must have access to real, standardized dollar amounts rather than vague estimates. Improved access to transparent pricing, costs, and quality data will empower patients to make informed choices and will drive down costs through competition. Requiring separate National Provider Identifier (NPI) numbers for off-campus outpatient clinics ensures bills reflect the actual location and provider. Honest billing will give patients more insight into whether they are appropriately charged for visits based on location. This transparency will empower patients to dispute erroneous fees, unfair add-on costs, hospital upcharges generated by artificial intelligence or otherwise, and other junk fees.

 

Expand Site-Neutral Payments: Building on the 2026 CMS Outpatient Prospective Payment System Final Rule, the Alliance supports further site-neutral payment reforms within Medicare. Aligning reimbursement for services across settings—ensuring the same price is paid for the same service, regardless of whether it is performed in a hospital outpatient department or a physician's office—is essential to lowering costs for patients and the federal government.

 

Limit Anti-Competitive Contracting: To promote high-value care, we champion policies that prohibit "all-or-nothing" or "anti-tiering" and “anti-steering” clauses in hospital contracts. These practices stifle competition and prevent employers from using strategies to steer employees toward higher-quality, lower-cost providers.

 

Expand Access to Telehealth: We urge Congress to allow providers to practice telehealth across state lines and prohibit unnecessary "facility fees" for virtual visits, ensuring telehealth remains a low-cost, convenient option for all.

 

Allow Greater Pre-Deductible Coverage in HSA-Eligible Plans: We support expanding the list of "high-value" chronic care services that are allowed to be covered pre-deductible in HSA-qualified plans. These plans ensure that patients can access needed services without the threat of high out-of-pocket costs.

 

Supporting Policies

 

In addition to our primary goals, the Alliance will lend its voice to efforts that address systemic market failures, including:

Stemming rising costs at freestanding emergency departments through site-neutral practices.

Increasing ownership transparency for hospitals and private equity-backed health facilities.

Workforce expansion in primary care and mental health to address critical provider shortages.

Advancing solutions for preventing end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and improving dialysis markets.

 

We look forward to working with you to advance these commonsense solutions that prioritize the health and financial security of American workers and work to make health care more affordable for all Americans.

 

Sincerely,

 

The Alliance to Fight for Health Care