KMA Lands: Axne pushes bill cutting health administration costs
January 29, 2020
Mike Peterson
(Washington) — Iowa Congresswoman Cindy Axne supports a measure designed to reduce red tape and paperwork doctors and patients, alike, are dealing with.
Axne, along with Ohio Congressman Troy Balderson, cosponsor the Reducing Administrative Costs and Burdens in Health Care Act of 2019. Speaking on KMA’s “Morning Line” program Wednesday morning, the West Des Moines Democrat says the bill would create a $250 million grant program, and direct the federal government to reduce excessive administrative costs by 50% over the next 10 years.
“They have to show us that the 50% was reached over a 10-year period, issue a report on the best practices–reducing the costs,” said Axne, “and then, those best practices will be pushed out across the country, if they’re not there already.”
Axne says excessive administration costs and paperwork connected to health care is something everybody can relate to.
“I’m sure everyone can relate to this when they go to the doctor’s office,” she said, “there’s a tendency to have to fill out a lot of paperwork up front, then have your doctor spend a lot of time on the computer, or filling out paperwork as you’re sitting in their office–less attention on you, and more attention on getting paperwork done. That’s because there’s so much administrative burden.”
Axne says statistics show the costs add up for health care consumers.
“Every year, Americans and health care providers spend nearly $500 billion just on billing and insurance related costs,” said the congresswoman. “This bill is to address that. One report estimated that as many as 40% of every dollar spent on health care goes to administrative costs and excess.”
Axne reintroduced the bill in the U.S. House this week after it was passed before the holiday recess in December, only to be stalled in the Senate. You can hear the full interview with Cindy Axne on our “Morning Line” page at kmaland.com.