A bipartisan committee of senators advanced legislation on Wednesday that would require hospitals and insurance companies to display prices for provided services. The Patients Deserve Price Tags Act, sponsored by Sens. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, and John Hickenlooper, D-Co., aims to increase transparency in healthcare costs.
Bill Details
The bill would require hospitals to publicly report negotiated rates, costs, and cash prices for ambulatory services, surgery centers, imaging labs, and clinical labs. Sen. Marshall estimated that the passage of the bill would reduce healthcare costs for families by as much as $1,000 per month.
Sen. Paul Rand, R-Ky., voted against the bill, stating that it does not address fixed prices for healthcare operations. He argued that individuals on Medicare and Medicaid will not have a meaningful change to their prices just because they are transparent.
Next Steps
The bill will move forward for full consideration on the Senate floor, where it can either be taken up or declined. The bill must be passed by the Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives by Jan. 3, 2027, to be brought into law.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
