Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., told Newsmax on Wednesday that a new Republican healthcare proposal led by Sens. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, and Bill Cassidy, R-La., aims to reverse what he called escalating costs and structural failures created under the Affordable Care Act.
Marshall discussed the legislation, known as the Health Care Freedom for Patients Act, during an appearance on "Rob Schmitt Tonight."
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., reportedly said Tuesday that the Senate will vote on the Crapo-Cassidy bill alongside a Democrat proposal to extend enhanced ACA tax credits on Thursday.
Marshall, a physician and member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, said the bill is designed to "put patients in charge, not insurance companies," arguing that Obamacare funnels "$150 billion a year to insurance companies" while consumers are left with higher premiums and fewer choices.
The Crapo-Cassidy plan would redirect a portion of existing federal subsidies into health savings accounts, giving individuals direct control over some of the money managed by insurers.
Marshall said that shift would force greater competition and transparency.
"We want to give you choices, put you in control, and we think that's going to drive down the cost of healthcare for everybody," he said.
Marshall said a central reason for rising costs is the complexity embedded in the ACA, which he argued allows hospitals, pharmacy benefit managers, and insurers to obscure prices.
Citing a group of 40 economists, he said the addition of mandatory price disclosures — a separate initiative he is pushing to include — could save the nation "$1 trillion a year" and reduce family health costs by "$1,000 a month."
He also pointed to broader demographic and health challenges, noting that an aging population and high rates of chronic illness have strained the system.
"America, to be honest, is a sick nation," he said, adding that conditions such as diabetes and heart disease consume roughly 90% of national healthcare spending.
He said long-term budget stability will require both pricing reforms and improvements in public health.
Even if the Crapo-Cassidy legislation stalls, Marshall said Republicans will continue pressing price transparency measures with what he described as growing bipartisan interest.
"Obamacare gave us these problems. We're trying to fix it," he said. "We're going to keep pushing our price tag bill, and we've got good bipartisan support."
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