Mike Braun

That average jack in price is about 40 percent?

That was a key element that actually brought it into line, because my employees became health care consumers and they exercised their power in doing it.

The Braun-Sanders bill is so important is because it makes this data available in a standardized format

I do not know of one other industry where we have had to bring, at the federal government level, a transparency bill.

All insurance companies basically do this.

That is the ultimately behavior of a monopoly, and remember, they are the supplier, and this is going against their own customers, and that, to me, is indicative of why we are in the pickle we are in.

I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get the Health Care Price Transparency Act 2.0 to the President's desk.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

That is another ripoff that happens nowhere else.

Small employers will really benefit from access to tools and technology that can leverage that standardized formatting

We strongly endorse the bipartisan Senate Bill 3548, The Health Care PRICE Transparency Act 2.0, introduced by Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee member Senator Mike Braun and Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders.

Today, we heard about the importance of health care price transparency and how access to this information will lower costs for Americans.

By the way, before my time runs out, back in 2008, the insurance companies told me that if you can create a market and an engaged consumer you will save so much money.

I would like your opinion, Dr. Whaley and Ms. Deacon, on how do we get what drives most markets would be unfettered competition, no barriers to entry, price transparency, but an engaged consumer?

I believe that most of the carriers today do not have an incentive.

We need to start doing a few things that most Americans believe should be done, don't spend more than you take in.

I would ask that the healthcare industry embraces things like competition, transparency, engages every American in their own wellbeing.

Healthcare is the place that we can within our own means, take a broken industry and system, that has no consumer involvement within it.

We've got to spend less than we take in.

The figures are bleak.

We end up with something like a Chapter 11 in the real world, which means sooner or later you've got to get our spending in line with our revenue.

If we don't want to keep borrowing from our kids and grandkids, that we've got to choose and prioritize what we're spending.

But generally that would mean once you cut taxes you're depriving the treasury in the short run.

Thank you for having the discussion on budget here today.

We need to start doing a few things that most Americans believe should be done, don't spend more than you take in.