Free Republic

On my Sunday TV program Full Measure, I’ve done quite a bit of reporting on the capricious cost of medical services at hospitals and how hard it is to get pricing upfront. President Trump just instituted a new rule requiring hospitals to make that information available. This could be a game changer. As I reported the prices hospitals charge vary widely and often do not seem to correlate to anything in particular. Insurance and private payers may be radically overcharged. From my story comparing prices: One hospital in the Los Angeles area charged $400 for the knee MRI. But a...

Many Americans have left the hospital concerned or surprised at how much or little they've spent for a service there. Well, thanks to a federal law, there will soon be more transparency on how much you'll be spending after your hospital visit. Starting on January 1, 2019, a federal law will require hospitals to post a master list online for how much the facility charges for a service. Often times, little to no price transparency can make it difficult for consumers to price compare. Other times the final bill is almost never the same as the "sticker price" due to...

Hospitals will be required to post online a list of their standard charges under a rule finalized Thursday by the Trump administration. While hospitals are already required to make this information public on request, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) said the new rule would require the info be posted online to "encourage price transparency" and improve "public accessibility." Starting Jan. 1, hospitals will be required to update the information annually. The CMS said it is also considering how to "allow consumers to more easily access relevant healthcare data and compare providers." Increasing price transparency has been a...