The bill would require hospitals to publish prices for items and services in plain language, in a free, machine-readable format. Hospitals would disclose gross charges, negotiated prices, cash prices, and other pricing details. They would provide information for at least 300 services that consumers can schedule in advance, when they offer that many. A qualifying online price estimator could meet this requirement.
Health plans and insurers would have to disclose more information, including negotiated rates, out-of-network payment amounts, and prescription drug prices. They would provide a free online tool with cost estimates and offer paper information by mail within two business days when requested. The rules would also apply to group health plans, including self-insured and fully insured plans. Hospitals that fail to comply and have not completed a corrective action plan could face a penalty of up to $300 per day.
You could use hospital and health plan websites to compare prices and estimate your share of costs before receiving care. You could also request cost information from your health plan on paper. Estimates are not guarantees of coverage or final charges.
The bill does not state implementation costs. It allows penalties of up to $300 per day for certain hospital violations.
No publicly available information.
No publicly available information.