Hospitals Continue to Fail to Comply with Federal Price Transparency Standards
By Consumers for Quality Care, on December 11, 2024
Most hospitals across the country are still not compliant with federal price transparency laws, according to a study conducted by Patient Rights Advocate (PRA) and reported by Healthcare Dive. In fact, a smaller percentage of hospitals are in compliance now than when PRA released their last study back in February.
Since January 1, 2021, hospitals have been required to disclose “clear, accessible pricing information” for their products and services by posting these prices for consumers through a “consumer-friendly” display.
But in their seventh semi-annual report, PRA found that just 21.1 percent of all hospitals have complied with these federal rules, down from 34.5 percent in PRA’s last semi-annual report. Though most hospitals did post their pricing information publicly, this information was often incomplete or misleading. This lack of information prevents consumers from being able to make educated decisions about their health care needs.
“By keeping their prices hidden, hospitals continue to block American consumers from their right to compare prices and protect themselves from overcharges,” said PRA Chairman and Founder Cynthia Fisher. PRA is calling on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to increase enforcement of the law.
More work needs to be done to ensure that hospitals comply with federal price-transparency rules. CQC urges increased oversight to ensure hospitals are releasing accurate price transparency data in a timely, accessible way that benefits consumers. Patients have a right to the information they need to compare costs, and hospitals should be held accountable when they fail to provide this information.
