Even with New Transparency Rules, Hospital Prices Remain Largely Inaccessible

By Consumers For Quality Care, on October 20, 2021

According to Fortune, a hospital price transparency rule that has been in effect for nine months has not proven effective.

The rule requires hospitals to provide “clear, accessible pricing information online” in a consumer-friendly format to make it easier for patients to estimate and compare the costs of procedures across different hospitals.

Only 61 percent of hospitals have posted the information, and the data quality varies widely. A lot of times the information is not helpful because it doesn’t consider what the procedures will actually cost once health insurance is factored in.

This lack of transparency is unacceptable, and hospitals and lawmakers must address the fact that too many patients still don’t know how to determine what their care will cost.