While other issues and controversies have overshadowed health care policy news in recent months, there has been some activity in this area, as federal lawmakers are considering moves to address price transparency and health care costs.

A recent hearing at the U.S. House of Representative Health Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee on Jan. 31 heard testimony from a range of shareholders and policy experts on costs and price transparency in health care. Many of the speakers voiced support for the recent "Lower Costs, More Transparency Act," which passed the House in late 2023 and is pending in the Senate.

"The Health subcommittee is tasked with one of the most important jobs in Congress—overseeing nearly one-fifth of the United States economy," said chair Bret Guthrie (R-KY) at the hearing. "It's a huge task and demands serious, bipartisan solutions to some of the most pressing challenges—challenges that have a large impact and are deeply personal for patients and families. That is why today we are continuing the bipartisan work we did in 2023 to bring down the high costs of health care."