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To the Editor:
During recent hearings in Washington D.C. regarding healthcare price transparency, members of Congress discussed adding new regulations that could strain hospital operations and confuse patients. I agree it is critical for patients to understand the cost of their medical expenses, which is exactly why it has been reassuring to see the implementation of current legislation helping patients take better charge of their care, and why we should avoid adding new legislation to the mix.
Health systems in Tennessee have made great strides in providing information to patients and we should be championing continued implementation rather than pushing more regulations. I hope that Representative Harshbarger, with her experience as a medical professional, can be a champion on this issue and keep pushing the Biden administration to successfully implement transparency laws.
At the same time, we need her to prevent lawmakers from passing more regulations which would add costs and burdens to the healthcare system. Patients can understand their costs clearly because of current rules – we shouldn’t change a system that works.
I hope that all our legislators, including Representative Harshbarger, express their concerns regarding additional price transparency legislation.

Judy Veeneman
Elizabethton