CMS' 2024 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and ASC rule includes changes to hospital price transparency requirements, which it says will make it easier for the public to learn what hospitals charge for items and services.
CMS is requiring hospitals to make standard charges publicly available in a more standardized manner, according to a Nov. 2 fact sheet. The agency said this will also make it easier for third parties to develop consumer-friendly materials, for hospitals to comply, and for CMS to enforce regulations.
The agency is also making several enforcement changes. They include:
- Requiring hospital officials to certify the accuracy and completeness of machine-readable file data.
- Requiring hospitals to submit an acknowledgement of receipt of warning notices.
- Reserving the right to communicate directly with health system leadership when a hospital with a compliance issue is part of a system.
- Publishing other enforcement activities — in addition to civil monetary penalties — on CMS' price transparency enforcement website.
Read more about the rule here.