'You're killing people...': House hearing explodes as Murphy grills health insurance executives

CEOs of the nation’s largest health insurers and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) appeared before the Ways and Means Committee to explain why premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket costs continue to rise for American families. This is the first in a series of hearings on health care affordability amidst health spending at record levels and consolidation in the insurance, pharmacy, and care delivery markets, limiting choice and competition. Committee Republicans challenged industry leaders to account for a system in which prices, coverage decisions, drug access, and provider networks are increasingly controlled by a handful of corporate entities. The hearing marks the first turning point in congressional oversight of the health care sector, after President Trump unveiled The Great Healthcare Plan, which called for lowering premiums, reducing drug costs, holding insurance companies accountable, and increasing transparency across the health care sector.