Inclusion of Billing Transparency and Patent Reform in End-of-Year Spending Package a Win for Americans

Kelli Rhee, Arnold Ventures’ President and CEO, encourages Congress to pass these bipartisan policies.

Washington, D.C. (December 17, 2024) Kelli Rhee, President and CEO of Arnold Ventures (AV), issued the following statement in response to the inclusion of billing transparency and drug pricing patent reform in Congress’s end-of-year package:

“These bipartisan policies will help lower health care costs for Americans, making care more affordable for everyone. 

“The billing transparency legislation will require hospitals to disclose where care is provided – whether within a hospital or at an off-site outpatient clinic – rather than obscuring the site of care to receive higher hospital prices for the same services. This will help lower costs for patients and businesses and save taxpayers more than $2 billion while assuring patients have access to quality care. 

“Likewise, reforms to patent law are vital to lowering prescription drug costs, and preventing pharmaceutical companies from employing​‘patent thickets’ to extend market exclusivity and block competition is an important step in helping to ensure Americans have access to medications they can afford. 

“Congress has taken an important step toward a more affordable health care system. We urge Congress to pass this legislation, and we look forward to working with the new Congress next year to build on these policies to continue lowering health care costs for Americans.”

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Arnold Ventures is a philanthropy that supports research to understand the root causes of America’s most persistent and pressing problems, as well as evidence-based solutions to address them. By focusing on systemic change, AV is working to improve the lives of American families, strengthen their communities, and promote their economic opportunity. Since Laura and John Arnold launched their foundation in 2008, the philanthropy has expanded, and Arnold Ventures’ focus areas include education, criminal justice, health, infrastructure, and public finance, advocating for bipartisan policy reforms that will lead to lasting, scalable change. As signatories of the Giving Pledge, the Arnolds have committed to giving away most of their wealth during their lives. 

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