Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.) is calling on Americans to help the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) break “the grip of special interests” amid the Trump administration’s effort to establish a more affordable medical billing system.
“Every time that you receive a medical bill, you pay for more than your care. You also pay for a billing system that most Americans have never heard of,” Sec. Kennedy said in a video posted to X.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), alongside HHS, recently proposed a new rule to revise payment policies and update them to reflect the true value of medical services.
“We’re cutting red tape. We’re breaking the grip of special interests, and we’re putting money back into Americans’ pockets,” Sec. Kennedy asserted.
Every time you receive a medical bill, you're paying for more than your care. Today, we're taking the first step toward changing that.
We want to hear from every American who believes that health care should serve patients—not special interests. Share your feedback through the… pic.twitter.com/MejSkUTf0r
— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) August 27, 2026
CPT Codes Cause High Medical Costs
According to Sec. Kennedy, part of the reason medical fees are exceedingly high is that medical billing codes are owned exclusively by the American Medical Association (AMA).
“Every time your doctor bills your insurance company or a federal program like Medicare or Medicaid, that claim includes medical billing codes called ‘Current Procedural Terminology,’ or CPT Codes,” Sec. Kennedy stated.
Kennedy Argues Congress Gave The AMA a "De Facto Monopoly"
In the video, Sec. Kennedy claimed that Congress gave the AMA a “de facto monopoly over the codes to help manage our national healthcare billing system.”
As a result of that authorized monopoly, the AMA collects hundreds of millions of dollars in royalty payments from healthcare providers, insurers, and health Information Technology (IT) companies that rely upon them, Sec. Kennedy argued.
The costs of these royalty payments are passed on to consumers, which leads to exorbitant medical bills on the American people.
“Washington created a system that puts special interests ahead of the American People,” Kennedy affirmed.
Issue Feedback
As part of the proposed rule process, individuals are able to give feedback on the directive before it becomes approved.
Individuals have until Sept. 14, 2026 to comment on the proposed rule.
