Res. No. 839

Resolution calling on Congress to pass, and the President to sign, H.R.3561, the PATIENT Act of 2023.

By Council Members Menin, Schulman and Louis

                     Whereas, In 2021, the United States (U.S.) spent $4.3 trillion on healthcare, averaging about $12,900 per person, which is over $5,000 more per person than any other high-income nation, according to the Peterson Center on Healthcare and the Kaiser Family Foundation; and

                     Whereas, In 2020, New York State (NYS) spent $14,007 per capita on personal healthcare, which was 37% higher than the national average; and

                     Whereas, Meanwhile, over 100 million adults across the U.S. struggle with healthcare debt, owing an estimated $195 billion in medical debt, combined with a median of $2,000 per household, according to RIP Medical Debt and a 2021 U.S. Census report; and

                     Whereas, In 2022, 38% of Americans said they or a family member skipped or delayed medical care, which is a 12 point increase from the previous year, according to an annual healthcare poll from Gallup; and

                     Whereas, A survey conducted between December 20, 2018, to January 2, 2019, found that out of 980 NYS adults surveyed, 52% experienced healthcare affordability burdens in the past year while 76% were worried about affording healthcare in the future; and

                     Whereas, From the same survey, 73% of NYS adults indicated wanting assistance from the government in paying their medical bills, with more than 7 in 10 blaming the government, insurance companies, or the drug industry for failing to control costs; and

Whereas, Multiple studies have attributed healthcare cost disparity in the U.S. to an accumulation of systemic issues including lack of healthcare transparency, drug and service charge discrepancies, insurance coverage gaps, inadequate investment in community healthcare centers, and healthcare workers serving indigent communities; and

Whereas, To address these issues, Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers introduced H.R.3561, also known as the Promoting Access to Treatments and Increasing Extremely Needed Transparency Act of 2023, otherwise known as the PATIENT Act of 2023; and

Whereas, The PATIENT Act of 2023 would establish comprehensive reporting requirements for prescription drug companies and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) as well as health insurance companies, including with respect to in-network services and prescription drug payments, that would shed light on pricing practices, ensuring fairness and accessibility for all individuals; and

Whereas, The PATIENT Act of 2023 would also establish legal authority for hospitals and certain diagnostic laboratory testing providers to list their shoppable services and prices, while prohibiting hospitals from using internet-based price estimators, to empower patients to make informed decisions about their healthcare and enable them to compare costs across healthcare facilities; and

Whereas, Additionally, the PATIENT Act of 2023 would increase funding for critical healthcare programs, such as the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program, Community Health Center program, and National Health Service Corps, all of which play a pivotal role in delivering quality care to underserved communities; and

Whereas, Increased reporting on prescription drugs and healthcare procedures would encourage accountability and fair pricing practices, leading to reduced financial burdens on vulnerable communities, while increased funding of teaching medical programs and other community health centers would alleviate healthcare capacity issues in underserved areas, improving healthcare delivery and access to the most indigent New Yorkers; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls on Congress to pass, and the President to sign, H.R.3561, the PATIENT Act of 2023.

LS #13835

09/26/2023

MB