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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, announced a hearing titled Lowering Health Care Costs for All Americans: An Examination of Health Insurance Affordability.

“Our constituents are feeling the effects of damage caused by Democrats’ failing health care policies, which have delivered worse health outcomes for patients by reducing choice and making care unaffordable and inaccessible. Now, they are doubling down, causing the rapid rise of health care costs,” said Chairmen Guthrie and Griffith. “Republicans have proposed many solutions to address this broken system, and this hearing is just the first step toward a larger effort to address the health care affordability crisis. We are working diligently to improve health outcomes and decrease the cost of care for all Americans.”

Subcommittee on Health hearing titled Lowering Health Care Costs for All Americans: An Examination of Health Insurance Affordability.

WHAT: Subcommittee on Health hearing to have productive discussions with health insurance companies on the core drivers working against health care affordability—namely onerous government interference, administrative burdens, waste, fraud, and abuse, and lack of competition and patient choice.

DATE: Thursday, January 22, 2026

TIME: 9:45 AM ET

LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building

Members of the media who wish to attend in-person should RSVP to their respective press gallery no later than 5:00 PM ET on Wednesday, January 21, 2026.

House Radio/TV Gallery:
** radiotv@mail.house.gov **
(202) 225-5214

House Periodical Gallery:
** Periodical.press@mail.house.gov **
(202) 225-2941

House Daily Press Gallery:
** dailypressgallery@mail.house.gov **
(202) 224-3945

Photographer Gallery:
** press_photo@saa.senate.gov **
(202) 224-6548

This notice is at the direction of the Chairman. This hearing will be open to the public and press and will be livestreamed at ** energycommerce.house.gov **. If you have any questions about this hearing, please contact Annabelle Huffman with the Committee staff at ** Annabelle.Huffman@mail.house.gov **. If you have any press-related questions, please contact Katie West at ** Katie.West@mail.house.gov **.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13), Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, Congressman Jason Smith (MO-08), Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, Congressman David Schweikert (AZ-01), Chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight, and Congressman Vern Buchanan (FL-16), Chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health, authored ** a letter ** to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) requesting a meeting on the concerning evidence detailed in the letter that points to large-scale, ongoing Medicare fraud in Los Angeles County, along with what action is being taken to address the situation.

“The House Committee on Energy and Commerce has an extensive history of digging deeper into matters where program integrity has been compromised. This letter is crucial in our commitment to eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse in federal health care programs,” said Chairmen Guthrie, Joyce, and Griffith. “Republicans have spent much of this Congress furthering legislation to protect our most vulnerable Americans—especially seniors, but our work is not done. Continued oversight is crucial to uphold the integrity of programs that serve our most vulnerable populations. We applaud the ongoing work being conducted by HHS-OIG in cracking down on the fraud that has occurred, and we look forward to addressing the larger-scale scheme that is draining public resources from Americans who need these services the most.”

“Medicare home health and hospice fraud directly undermines the safety and reliability of care for America’s most vulnerable seniors. Auditors have reported an unprecedented jump in home health and hospice fraud in Los Angeles County, California – including one report showing 112 different hospices located at the same physical address. With $1.2 billion in improper payments in home health claims and the Inspector General reporting $198 million in suspected hospice fraud, Gavin Newsom’s California could just as well be another Minnesota,” said Chairman Smith. “The Ways and Means Committee will not hesitate to use our broad oversight authority to get to the bottom of this and protect taxpayers and vulnerable patients against these bad actors.”

BACKGROUND:

Evidence has strongly suggested large-scale Medicare fraud involving home health agencies (HHA) and hospice agencies in Los Angeles County, California, noting that such practices not only drain public resources but also compromise the quality of care provided to patients, especially those most vulnerable populations.

• The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) found that the 2023 improper payment error rate for home health claims was 7.7 percent, or about $1.2 billion, in 2023.
• In terms of hospice care, HHS OIG reported suspected hospice fraud to be an estimated $198.1 million in fiscal year (FY) 2023.
• CMS has placed HHAs as an area of high risk for Medicare fraud.

Emerging concerns over Medicare fraud in the HHAs and hospice sector highlights heightened activity, specifically in Los Angeles County.

• From 2019 through June 2023, HHAs in the U.S. decreased from 8,838 to 8,280 (6 percent), while, at the same time, HHAs in Los Angeles County increased from 896 to 1,309 (46 percent).
• More than 1,400 new Los Angeles County HHAs enrolled in Medicare in the last five years, representing over 50 percent of all HHAs in the state of California and nearly 14 percent of all HHAs in the country.

Based on data from the March 2022 California State Auditor’s Report and from HHS on hospice ownership, Los Angeles County had more than 31 percent of the hospice agencies in the U.S. in 2022.

• There were approximately 58 million seniors in the U.S. in 2022, with Los Angeles County having approximately 1.49 million seniors (2.5 percent).
• The report highlighted indicators that included a “rapid, disproportionate growth in the number of hospice agencies” and “excessive geographic clustering of hospice agencies,” noting that 112 different licensed hospice agencies were located at the same physical address.
• State auditors in California estimated that hospice agencies in Los Angeles County likely overbilled Medicare by $105 million in 2019.

These accounts of widespread fraud occurring in Los Angeles County’s HHAs and hospice agencies have raised concerns about whether home health and hospice Accrediting Organizations (AO) are effectively examining such organizations at the time of their enrollment in Medicare.

• In November 2024, CMS issued a Quality, Safety, and Oversight memo to surveyors, reminding them to closely inspect hospices’ Medicare enrollment documents to understand changes in ownership and location, but neglecting to encourage AOs to pursue other commonsense antifraud measures.

In April 2025, HHS OIG announced that the Office of Audit Services would compile a report for FY 2026 to identify trends, patterns, and comparisons that could indicate potential vulnerabilities related to new Medicare hospice provider enrollments.

In May 2025, the Health Care Fraud Strike Force—a joint task force of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including HHS OIG—** announced multiple arrests ** following a multi-year investigation into Armenian Organized Crime, which dismantled five hospices in the greater Los Angeles area.

On November 28, 2025, CMS ** announced ** the Calendar Year 2026 Home Health Prospective Payment System Final Rule, providing comments that suggest an interest in addressing the aforementioned accounts of fraud.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In case you missed it, ** Breitbart ** recently reported that Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Jason Smith (MO-08), Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, announced upcoming hearings inviting five of the nation’s largest health insurance company CEOs to testify on rising health care costs and ways to make health care more affordable for all Americans.

In Case You Missed It:

“House Energy and Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-KY), House Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO) told Breitbart News that Republicans have been forced to clean up Democrats’ healthcare ‘mess;’ they will invite health insurance executives later this month to testify on how to lower healthcare costs.

“‘House Republicans are once again left to clean up the mess of Democrats’ flawed policymaking. Instead of temporarily bailing out a failing program utilized by a fraction of the country, we have invited five of the top health insurance company CEOs to testify before our Committees to have a discussion and answer questions about rising costs, the current state of health care affordability, and the role played by large health insurers,’ Guthrie and Smith said in a written statement.

“On January 22, health insurance executives will testify before two hearings, with the Energy and Commerce Committee hearing taking part in the morning, and the Ways and Means Committee hearing taking place that afternoon.

“Executives that have been invited to the hearings include:

- Stephen Hemsley, CEO, UnitedHealth Group
- David Joyner, President and CEO, CVS Health Group
- David Cordani, President, CEO, and Chairman of the Board, Cigna Health Group
- Gail Boudreaux, President and CEO, Elevance Health
- Paul Markovich, President and CEO, Ascendiun

“‘This hearing is the first in a series to examine the root causes driving higher health care prices and discuss policies that will lower the cost of care for all Americans,’ they continued.

“The hearings will take place as the House will as soon as Thursday vote on a bill that would extend the expiring enhanced Obamacare subsidies, which has become a focal point of the nation’s healthcare debate.

“Democrats have honed in on these expiring Enhanced Premium Tax Credits (EPTCs), or enhanced Obamacare credits, that aim to lower the cost of health insurance. However, as Breitbart News has detailed, these enhanced subsidies that were meant to serve as a temporary relief from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic are rife with abuse.

“The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that there was rampant waste, fraud, and abuse coming from these premium tax credits. Further, a report from the Paragon Health Institute has explained how the expiring Obamacare premiums minimally impacted total 2026 premiums, which counters a Democrat narrative that the expiration of these credits are responsible for the recent rise in health insurance premiums.

“Democrats first enhanced these subsidies through the pandemic-era stimulus plan, the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan. The Democrat majority in Congress then extended the credits through the so-called Inflation Reduction Act through the end of 2025, setting the stage for Congress’s current healthcare fight.

“In contrast to the Democrats, Republicans in the House passed the Lower Health Care Premiums for All American Act, a bill that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) said would lower premiums by 11 percent and save $35.6 billion.

“‘Republicans are committed to making health care more affordable by driving solutions that increase patient choice and competition, root out waste, fraud, and abuse, and put patients back at the center of our health care system,’ the healthcare leaders concluded in their statement.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing titled Legislative Proposals to Support Patient Access to Medicare Services.

Subcommittee Chairman Griffith’s opening statement as prepared for delivery:

“Today’s hearing will discuss ten bills aimed at improving patient access in Medicare.

“As our population ages, it is critical that Medicare policies keep pace with patient needs.

“Ensuring beneficiaries can obtain timely, cost-effective services is essential to fulfilling Medicare’s promise.

“A handful of bills we are discussing today help increase access to durable medical equipment, or DME, which include wheelchairs, oxygen equipment, walkers, diabetic supplies just to name a few.

“However, the way Medicare reimburses for these products can be improved.

“Dr. Joyce from Pennsylvania is leading H.R. 1703, the Choices for Increased Mobility Act, which creates a new billing code to improve Medicare coverage for ultralightweight wheelchairs, particularly those made from titanium or carbon fiber.

“Currently, an individual must pay full price for the upgrade to a lighter, more functional wheelchair, and then hope to get reimbursed by Medicare later.

“This bill will allow Medicare to cover a portion of the costs up front to ease the financial burden on individuals.

“Another bill, H.R. 2477, the Portable Ultrasound Reimbursement Equity Act, led by Representative Van Duyne from Texas, provides Medicare reimbursement for portable ultrasound transportation and services, which will help seniors get the care they need.

“Representative Miller-Meeks from Iowa champions H.R. 2005, the DMEPOS Relief Act, would establish a fairer rate for DME supplies.

“The way DME products get priced is through a process known as competitive bidding.

“This is where DME suppliers bid to be the sole contractor in certain areas of the country with the winning bid prices used to determine supplier reimbursement.

“These prices are not one size fits all, and suppliers, especially in some areas, struggle to stay open due to these low rates.

“This bill aims to help mitigate that impact.

“The last bill in the DME space is H.R. 2902, the Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform Act, led by Representative Valadao from California.

“Among other things, this bill removes supplemental oxygen and its supplies from the competitive bidding program and creates a new reimbursement rate for supplemental and liquid oxygen.

“We will also be considering H.R. 2172, the Preserving Patient Access to Home Infusion Act, led by Representative Buchanan from Florida.

“This bill would make updates to the home infusion therapy benefit and support patient access to this benefit.

“The current reimbursement structure is not aligned with how these therapies are currently administered in the home.

“This bill will modernize the model, ensure adequate provider reimbursement and support patient access to home infusions.

“Another bill being considered today is H.R. 5269, the Reforming and Enhancing Sustainable Updates to Laboratory Testing Services Act, led by Representative Hudson from North Carolina.

“This bill would update how CMS establishes reimbursement rates for clinical laboratory services paid under the Medicare Clinical Lab Fee Schedule.

“This important bill aims to create a less burdensome process for CMS to determine private payor-based rates for lab services.

“A few other bills being considered today include:

“H.R. 5243, led by Representative McClellan from Virginia, that brings more transparency into supplemental benefits provided by Medicare Advantage plans.

“H.R. 5347, the Health Care Efficiency Through Flexibility Act, also led by Representative Buchanan.

“This bill would extend certain methods for collecting Accountable Care Organization’s quality measurement data, as well as establish a digital quality measure pilot program.

“H.R. 6210, the Senior Savings Protection Act, led by Representative Matsui from California, reauthorizes and funds certain programs under the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act.

“These programs help low-income beneficiaries understand and access their benefits.

“Lastly, we will discuss H.R. 6361, the BAN AI Denials in Medicare Act, led by Representative Landsman from Ohio.

“This bill prohibits the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation or CMMI from implementing the Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction Model, or the WISeR Model.

“While I understand the concerns around AI and prior authorization, CMMI’s statutory mission is to lower health care costs and improve outcomes for patients.

“The WISeR Model does not change Medicare coverage policy but will focus on ensuring that for a set of non-emergency services, seniors are getting safe, effective, and appropriate care.

“I look forward to hearing from the witnesses today and working to advance these bills to a markup.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Jason Smith (MO-08), Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, announced the details for upcoming hearings inviting in five of the biggest health insurance company Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) to answer questions on how we can make health care more affordable for all Americans with commercial insurance coverage—not just the seven percent of Americans who obtain their health insurance through Obamacare.

Quote Attributable to Chairmen Guthrie and Smith:

“House Republicans are once again left to clean up the mess of Democrats’ flawed policymaking. Instead of temporarily bailing out a failing program utilized by a fraction of the country, we have invited five of the top health insurance company CEOs to testify before our Committees to have a discussion and answer questions about rising costs, the current state of health care affordability, and the role played by large health insurers.

“This hearing is the first in a series to examine the root causes driving higher health care prices and discuss policies that will lower the cost of care for all Americans.

“Republicans are committed to making health care more affordable by driving solutions that increase patient choice and competition, root out waste, fraud, and abuse, and put patients back at the center of our health care system.”

BACKGROUND:

The date of the hearings will be January 22, 2026, with the panel appearing before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce in the morning, and the House Committee on Ways and Means in the afternoon.

Companies invited are UnitedHealthcare, CVS Health, Cigna Healthcare, Elevance Health, and Blue Shield of California.

Witnesses Invited:

• Stephen Hemsley, CEO, UnitedHealth Group
• David Joyner, President and CEO, CVS Health Group
• David Cordani, President, CEO, and Chairman of the Board, Cigna Health Group
• Gail Boudreaux, President and CEO, Elevance Health
• Paul Markovich, President and CEO, Ascendiun

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, led a hearing titled Legislative Proposals to Support Patient Access to Medicare Services.

“As our population ages, it is critical that Medicare policies keep pace with patient needs. Today’s hearing highlighted legislation that works to improve patient access in Medicare,” said Chairman Griffith. “Ensuring beneficiaries can obtain timely, cost-effective services is essential to fulfilling Medicare’s promise.”

Watch the full hearing here .

Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing:

Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13): “H.R. 1703, the Choices for Increased Mobility Act of 2025, is commonsense legislation. It would give greater access to Medicare beneficiaries to titanium and to carbon fiber wheelchairs. There is one key word in this legislation, and that is choice. This bill allows Medicare patients the opportunity to decide whether a titanium or a carbon fiber wheelchair is the right choice for them, and if it is, patients with Medicare B have the ability to pay out of pocket for wheelchair upgrades if they so choose.”

Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01): “As a physician and nurse, I have seen firsthand how critical timely access to oxygen equipment, mobility devices, and home medical supplies are to keep patients healthy and out of hospitals. When access to these services is disrupted, patient outcomes suffer, and costs to the health care system increase. That is why I introduced H.R. 2005, the DMEPOS Relief Act of 2025. DMEPOS suppliers, particularly small independent providers and those serving rural communities, are under growing financial pressure due to inflation, workforce shortages, supply chain disruptions, and Medicare reimbursement rates that have not kept pace with real-world costs. In many cases, suppliers are being forced to limit services or exit the Medicare program altogether, leaving beneficiaries with fewer options and longer wait times.”

Congressman Tom Kean (NJ-07): “I appreciate this Committee’s efforts to educate all of us on legislation that could help our seniors who rely on Medicare. I support H.R. 5269, the Reforming and Enhancing Sustainable Updates to Laboratory Testing Services (RESULTS) Act of 2025, that’s been introduced by my colleague from North Carolina, Representative Hudson. This bill would make vital reforms to Medicare’s clinical lab fee schedule, which pays for lab tests New Jersey seniors rely on for routine care and for diagnosis of more complex conditions like cancer. In New Jersey, there were over 2,300 laboratories. In my district, there are over 200. Ms. Van Meter, can you articulate the urgency of reform needed for Medicare’s clinical lab fee schedule?” Ms. Susan Van Meter: “On January 31, about 800 tests will get cut by up to 15 percent. The cuts are going to hit tests that are among the most routine that Medicare beneficiaries rely on every day. Those kinds of reductions will have an impact on beneficiary access to services. It will also stifle innovation in the next generation of diagnostics those same patients need and deserve.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce is holding two Subcommittee Hearings. Read more below.

SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING: The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy is holding a hearing to discuss the licensing, deployment, and implementation of recently enacted federal laws and administration policies in nuclear energy.

• DATE: Wednesday, January 7, 2026
• TIME: 10:15 AM ET
• LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building

SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING: The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health is holding a hearing to discuss legislation focused on improving Medicare payment policies and expanding access to care for seniors.

• DATE: Thursday, January 8, 2026
• TIME: 10:15 AM ET
• LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, announced a hearing titled Legislative Proposals to Support Patient Access to Medicare Services.

Subcommittee on Health hearing titled Legislative Proposals to Support Patient Access to Medicare Services.

WHAT: Subcommittee on Health hearing to discuss legislation focused on improving Medicare payment policies and expanding access to care for seniors.

DATE: Thursday, January 8, 2026

TIME: 10:15 AM ET

LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building

This hearing will focus on the following bills:

• H.R. 1703, Choices for Increased Mobility Act of 2025 (Rep. Joyce – PA)
• H.R. 2005, DMEPOS Relief Act of 2025 (Rep. Miller-Meeks)
• H.R. 2172, Preserving Patient Access to Home Infusion Act (Rep. Buchanan)
• H.R. 2477, Portable Ultrasound Reimbursement Equity Act of 2025 (Rep. Van Duyne)
• H.R. 2902, Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform (SOAR) Act of 2025 (Rep. Valadao)
• H.R. 5243, To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to increase data transparency for supplemental benefits under Medicare Advantage. (Rep. McClellan)
• H.R. 5269, Reforming and Enhancing Sustainable Updates to Laboratory Testing Services (RESULTS) Act of 2025 (Rep. Hudson)
• H.R. 5347, Health Care Efficiency Through Flexibility Act (Rep. Buchanan)
• H.R. 6210, Senior Savings Protection Act (Rep. Matsui)
• H.R. 6361, Ban AI Denials in Medicare Act (Rep. Landsman)

This notice is at the direction of the Chairman. This hearing will be open to the public and press and will be livestreamed at energycommerce.house.gov. If you have any questions about this hearing, please contact Annabelle Huffman at Annabelle.Huffman@mail.house.gov. If you have any press related questions, please contact Katie West at Katie.West@mail.house.gov.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, issued the following statement applauding the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) recent announcement of funding allocations for states through the Rural Health Transformation (RHT) program, which was established in President Trump’s Working Families Tax Cuts.

“Our Working Families Tax Cuts law delivered the most historic investment in rural health that we’ve seen in our lifetimes,” said Chairmen Guthrie and Griffith.“The RHT program will provide funding to transform health care systems so that we can help assure the long-term sustainability of our rural providers for years to come. We applaud Secretary Kennedy and Administrator Oz on this critical effort, and we look forward to seeing states use these resources to bolster health care delivery through innovative solutions in rural America.”

Allocations of funding were based upon rigorous, data-driven merit review—led by federal and non-federal rural health experts and overseen by senior federal review directors—to assess each state’s proposed initiatives and alignment with program goals to ensure a fair, transparent, and consistent merit review process across all states.

Funding will be distributed over five years beginning in federal fiscal year 2026. As states begin implementation, program officers from CMS’s Office of Rural Health Transformation will provide technical assistance and ongoing support to help states design, launch, and sustain initiatives that best serve their rural communities.

CLICK HERE to view a list of each State’s allocated RHT funds.

Background on the Rural Health Transformation Program:

• The Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program was created by the Working Families Tax Cuts law and empowers states to strengthen rural communities across America by improving access to quality health care outcomes and transforming the health care delivery ecosystem.

• RHT funding will be allocated through the following formula:

• $25 billion over five years will be distributed evenly among the states; this means each state will receive $100 million each year for FY 2026-2030 ($500 million total).

• $25 billion will be distributed to states based on criteria established by the Secretary that target funding to states with high rural health care needs and that outline long-term programmatic goals that will transform access to care in the state.

In accordance with the law, only the 50 states are eligible to receive an RHT Program award; the District of Columbia and U.S. Territories are not eligible.