Consumers Deserve Transparency

Dear Neighbors,

I held a press conference in Woodbridge this week to talk about my bipartisan bill to help consumers compare and better understand the cost of health care services across different hospitals. I recently introduced the Promoting Access to Treatments and Increasing Extremely Needed Transparency Act or the PATIENT Act, which strengthens transparency requirements for both hospitals and insurers by requiring them to display price information in a format that consumers can easily understand.

Patients deserve greater transparency in the prices they pay for health care and prescription drugs. Unfortunately, consumers are not able to easily obtain price information in advance, and sometimes the information that is available is inaccurate and misleading, making it difficult to determine the true value of the care. The lack of transparency makes it difficult for both consumers and employers to make informed decisions.

The bill requires hospitals to make public all standard charges for items and services and to display charges for the hospital’s 300 most “shoppable” services in a consumer-friendly format. Additionally, the bill requires insurers to make public their negotiated in-network provider rates for all items and services, billed charges for out-of-network items and services, and personalized cost-sharing information. Read more here

The Biden Administration is NOT Banning Gas Stoves

I spoke out against a Republican bill designed to deliberately mislead the American people about gas stoves. Let’s set the record straight with a little reality – the Biden Administration is NOT banning gas stoves. This is nothing but a political stunt. House Republicans continue to put politics over people, and with this bill today, they are once again putting polluters over people.

This bill is merely a stunt meant to prevent the Department of Energy from finalizing a recently proposed energy efficiency standard for electric and gas stoves and cooktops that would lower energy bills, improve Americans’ health, and cut pollution. These energy efficiency standards are extremely popular. A recent poll found that three out of five Americans support stricter energy efficiency standards for appliances and buildings.

The proposed standard only applies to new gas stoves manufactured and sold three years after the rule is finalized. That would give manufacturers more than enough time to meet these new standards. There is simply no reason for this proposed rule to be controversial. No one is saying you can’t keep your gas stove. No one is saying you don’t have a choice. No one is saying you have to move to electric stoves – this is all misinformation. Read more here

Perth Amboy Will Receive Federal Funding for First Responders

Perth Amboy has been awarded $40,909 in federal grant funding from the Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) program. The Borough will use the funding to send 18 firefighters to Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) class to become National Registry and New Jersey certified EMTs.

Every day, we ask our first responders to wear multiple hats and to be prepared for any type of emergency. This funding ensures these brave individuals have the training they need to respond to emergencies and help save lives. We are thankful for them and their commitment to our community. Read more here

Click here to visit my website or call my offices directly if you have questions or need help with a federal agency:

Middlesex County: 732-249-8892

Monmouth County: 732-571-1140

Sincerely,

Congressman Pallone