Weekly Column: Republicans' Policies Are Driving Down Health Care Costs

As its name suggests, the Working Families Tax Cuts (WFTC) prevented a massive tax hike, provided new tax relief, and included provisions across a wide range of policy areas that will make Americans safer and more prosperous.

While tax relief was the centerpiece of this consequential legislation, the law also included significant reforms to address the root causes of the explosive growth in health care costs. Combined with the recent Fiscal Year 2026 government funding package, these measures are advancing Republicans’ health care agenda: bring down the cost of prescription drugs, increase access to care, improve health care quality and support treatment of diseases that affect millions of Americans.

The funding measure included significant reforms from the Senate Finance Committee’s pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) package that increase transparency in the Medicare Part D program and lower seniors’ costs at the pharmacy counter. Importantly, we reinforced protections for small and independent pharmacies, ensuring more Americans have pharmacy options close to home. Overall, the reforms require PBMs to share more information and increase pressure on PBMs to improve services and reduce costs.

Additionally, multi-cancer early detection screening tests can be covered by Medicare, providing access to lifesaving, preventive care. This provision allows for coverage of screening tests with approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, instead of waiting for a lengthy legislative or regulatory approval process, saving millions of lives. These provisions were drawn from legislation I have introduced for many congresses, backed by an overwhelming bipartisan majority.

Telehealth flexibilities and the Acute Hospital Care at Home initiative were also extended, which help to ensure Idahoans in remote areas receive quality care in their own homes. These provisions build on WFTC provisions that increase access to zero-deductible telehealth services and expand home-based care for individuals with developmental disabilities.

The WFTC also created the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), a historic $50 billion program to modernize and strengthen the rural health care system. The fund gives states resources to address challenges facing rural hospitals and rural providers, such as low patient volumes and outdated technology, and to build meaningful, stable solutions that provide access to care as close to home as possible for people living in rural communities. Idaho will receive more than $185 million in 2026.

The funding measure also makes progress in helping patients make informed health care choices, requiring Medicare Advantage plans to maintain accurate, public provider directories. This follows other commonsense improvements to Medicaid in the WFTC that reduce fraud so more support reaches those who really need it. The law also helps people save more for health care expenses through increased access to Health Savings Accounts (HSAs).

Although we made significant progress by enacting these reforms, there is more to do. In line with President Trump’s call to give money directly to patients instead of large insurance companies, I recently put forward a plan that would provide pre-funded HSAs for families. Families could use that money for costs not covered by their insurance policy. When patients control their care, providers compete to offer better value. This fiscally responsible proposal would reduce premiums, save taxpayers’ money and give Americans control over their health care. Although Democrats rejected that plan, we will continue to seek fiscally sustainable reforms.

This Congress, Republicans have proven we are the party of health care—not of unaffordable subsidies that accelerate price increases, but of helping health care providers lower costs and improve patient outcomes. The bipartisan provisions we have enacted so far lay a solid foundation for making health care more affordable and attainable for all Americans.

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