When the next Congress begins its first session in January, it has the opportunity to strengthen healthcare price transparency laws, patientrightsadvocate.org founder Cynthia Fisher said in a Nov. 27 opinion piece in the Dallas Morning News.
Ms. Fischer wrote that the Hospital Price Transparency Rule, which went into effect in January 2021, has been "marred by widespread hospital noncompliance." An August report from her organization found that only 16 percent of hospitals were in full compliance.
She wrote that Congress can boost compliance and improve the rule by codifying it into law. The rule can be made more effective for consumers by requiring hospitals to follow clear data disclosure standards that allow third-party tech companies to aggregate prices in "easy-to-use web applications the way travel websites aggregate airfares on sites like Kayak or Expedia," she added.
Ms. Fischer said lawmakers can further improve the Hospital Price Transparency Rule by eliminating a loophole that allows hospitals to post estimates instead of real prices.