Smucker Insurance Transparency Legislation Advanced by Ways & Means Committee

Press Release

This week bipartisan legislation, H.R. 8889, introduced by Reps. Lloyd Smucker (PA-11), Tom Rice (SC-7), and Stacie Plaskett (VI) was adopted as part of a manager's amendment during a markup of the Ways and Means Committee. The bill now goes to the House floor for consideration.

Smucker's legislation, the Readable Insurance Coverage Explanations Act (RICE Act), would provide consumers with greater transparency about covered benefits and financial responsibilities of private insurance plans on a centralized public website. Under current law, there remain gaps in transparency for this critical information. The bill would also require a report to Congress offering recommendations to make statements of benefits easier to understand.

"I am pleased that our legislation to arm consumers with better information about their private insurance plans was approved by my colleagues in the Ways and Means Committee. This is an important step forward to give Americans the information they need to make the best health insurance decisions. I urge the House to take up and pass this bill, and I would like to thank Reps. Plaskett and Rice for joining me in introducing this legislation," said Smucker.

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