I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5688 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for grants to enable 
States to carry out activities to reduce administrative costs and burdens 
in health care. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 28, 2020 
Mrs. AXNE (for herself and Mr. BALDERSON) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for 
grants to enable States to carry out activities to reduce 
administrative costs and burdens in health care. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Reducing Administra-
tive Costs and Burdens in Health Care Act of 2020’’. 
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SEC. 2. REDUCING ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS AND BURDENS 
IN HEALTH CARE. 
Title II of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
202 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘PART E—REDUCING ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS 
AND BURDENS IN HEALTH CARE 
‘‘SEC. 281. ELIMINATING UNNECESSARY ADMINISTRATIVE 
BURDENS AND COSTS. 
‘‘(a) REDUCING ADMINISTRATIVE BURDENS
AND 
COSTS.—The Secretary, in consultation with providers of 
health services, health care suppliers of services, health 
care payers, health professional societies, health vendors 
and developers, health care standard development organi-
zations and operating rule entities, health care quality or-
ganizations, health care accreditation organizations, public 
health entities, States, patients, and other appropriate en-
tities, shall, in accordance with subsection (b)— 
‘‘(1) establish a goal of reducing unnecessary 
costs and administrative burdens across the health 
care system, including the Medicare program under 
title XVIII of the Social Security Act, the Medicaid 
program under title XIX of such Act, and the pri-
vate health insurance market, by at least half over 
a period of 10 years from the date of enactment of 
this section; 
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‘‘(2) develop strategies and benchmarks for 
meeting the goal established under paragraph (1); 
‘‘(3) develop recommendations for meeting the 
goal established under paragraph (1); and 
‘‘(4) take action to reduce unnecessary costs 
and administrative burdens based on recommenda-
tions identified in this subsection. 
‘‘(b) STRATEGIES, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND AC-
TIONS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—To achieve the goal estab-
lished under subsection (a)(1), the Secretary, in con-
sultation with the entities described in such sub-
section, shall not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this section, develop strategies and rec-
ommendations and take actions to meet such goal in 
accordance with this subsection. No strategies, rec-
ommendation, or action shall undermine the quality 
of patient care or patient health outcomes. 
‘‘(2) STRATEGIES.—The strategies developed 
under paragraph (1) shall address unnecessary costs 
and administrative burdens. Such strategies shall in-
clude broad public comment and shall prioritize— 
‘‘(A) recommendations identified as a re-
sult of efforts undertaken to implement section 
3001; 
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‘‘(B) recommendations and best practices 
identified as a result of efforts undertaken 
under this part; 
‘‘(C) a review of regulations, rules, and re-
quirements of the Department of Health and 
Human Services that could be modified or 
eliminated to reduce unnecessary costs and ad-
ministrative burden imposed on patients, pro-
viders, payers, and other stakeholders across 
the health care system; and 
‘‘(D) feedback from stakeholders in rural 
or frontier areas on how to reduce unnecessary 
costs and administrative burdens on the health 
care system in those areas. 
‘‘(3) RECOMMENDATIONS.—The recommenda-
tions developed under paragraph (1) shall include— 
‘‘(A) actions that improve the standardiza-
tion and automation of administrative trans-
actions; 
‘‘(B) actions that integrate clinical and ad-
ministrative functions; 
‘‘(C) actions that improve patient care and 
reduce unnecessary costs and administrative 
burdens borne by patients, their families, and 
other caretakers; 
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