Good morning. The Senate Health education labor and Pensions Committee will please come to order. Todayerer holding a hearing on our nations growing Mental Health and Substance Use disorder crisis. I will have an Opening Statement following by senator murkowski. Then we will introduce our witnesses. I believe Ranking Member will join us a little later as well. After the witnesses give their testimony, senators will each is have five minute farce for a round of questions. While we werent able to have it open to the public, live video is available on our Committee Website and if you are in need of accommodations, you can reach out to the committee or office of congressional accessibility services. We continue to see a high number of new covid cases, so we are having this hearing in a larger hearing room where we can be socially distanced limiting the number of people who are in the hearing room, experience depression, anxiety and other Mental Health disorders. Drug overdoses were on the
Good morning. The Senate Health education labor and Pensions Committee will please come to order. Todayerer holding a hearing on our nations growing Mental Health and Substance Use disorder crisis. I will have an Opening Statement following by senator murkowski. Then we will introduce our witnesses. I believe Ranking Member will join us a little later as well. After the witnesses give their testimony, senators will each is have five minute farce for a round of questions. While we werent able to have it open to the public, live video is available on our Committee Website and if you are in need of accommodations, you can reach out to the committee or office of congressional accessibility services. We continue to see a high number of new covid cases, so we are having this hearing in a larger hearing room where we can be socially distanced limiting the number of people who are in the hearing room, experience depression, anxiety and other Mental Health disorders. Drug overdoses were on the
And at the witness table, the Homeland Security secretary, xavier becerra, getting ready to give testimony on the president s 2025 budget request. The priorities of the budget, focusing on Health Care Coverage in the United States, as well as Maternal Health and mortality, Mental Health and suicide in cancer research. Pecting the hearing to start shortly, we have the chair and the Ranking Member in their seats now. Again, senators hearing budget request from health and Human Services secretary xavier becerra. Today, we meet to discuss the year ahead for health care in america. Thank you, secretary becerra, for joining us. I will start off with a little bit of history. Topic one, drug prices. In july of 2020, donald trump said since the day i took office, i have made reducing drug prices one of my highest priorities. For four straight years, donald trump complained about high drug prices, did lots of finger pointing at others about the problem and repeatedly talked about how he was the
You, secretary becerra, fojoining with a little bit of history. Topic one, drug prices. In july of 2020, donald trump said, since the day i toke office i have made reducing drug prices one of my highest priorities. For four straight years, donald trump complained about hh did r pointing at others about the problem, and repeatedly talked about how he was best friend seniors could depend on. What was actually accomplished over his four years . â– exactly nothing. Fastforward to the Biden Administration. Forward to the Biden Administration. From the time fastforward to the Biden Administration. From the time joe biden took office, he made it clear he was committed to lowering drug costs and Health Care Prices for families. I remember him having a conversation with me shortly after the election. He said the finance commiee is a place where things happen. And everybody has been talking about doing something about drug prices forever. Now is the time to get something done. And to actually he
Committee here from physicians and Mental Health advocates who raced to hold Physician Health accountable in space for rural health areas. As which was not represented initially in this way. The fact is, these americans are being ripped off by what the government in office has described as a Ghost Network. Not my language, but the language of the Government Accountability office. To me, but a Ghost Network is all about is essentially selling Health Coverage under false pretenses. Because, the providers that have been advertise are not picking up the phones. There are not taking patients. In any other business, if a product or service does not meet expectations, consumers get a refund. In my view, it is a contractor breach. Insurance Companies Sell their plans for thousands of dollars each month, while their product is unusable. Unusable due to a Ghost Network. I am going to work with all my colleagues on both sides, democratic and republican, to get real accountability for these patien