Trump Signs Executive Order Calling For Upfront Disclosure Of Hospital Costs

President Trump on Monday signed an executive order demanding the upfront disclosure by hospitals of the actual prices for common tests and procedures.

Trump’s order also requires that patients be told ahead of time what their out-of-pocket costs like deductibles and copays will be for many procedures.

“This landmark initiative continues our work to put American patients first,” Trump said during remarks at the White House before signing the order. “We are fundamentally changing the nature of the health care marketplace.”

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told reporters before Trump’s remarks that the idea is to give patients practical information that they can use to help save money. For example, if a hospital charges your insurer $3,500 for a type of echocardiogram and the same test costs $550 in a doctor’s office, you might go for the lower-price procedure to save on copays.

The executive order calls for a rule-making process by federal agencies, which typically takes months or even years. The details of what information will have to be disclosed and how it will be made available to patients must be worked out as part of writing the regulations. That will involve a complex give-and-take with hospitals, insurers and others affected. Consumers will have to wait to see whether the results live up to the administration’s promises.

What Was Spotted Under a Chinese Bomber Looks Just Like Piece of American Tech Lost Over China

Chicago Cubs Pitcher Forced to Remove Glove with American Flag Because it Was a ‘Distraction’

NY v. Trump: Tabloid publisher testifies he bought stories on Tiger Woods, ex-Obama chief of staff

US energy giant sounds alarm on Biden’s climate rules targeting power plants

Hollywood Is Reportedly in Rough Shape and in the Midst of Massive Change: ‘Money Is So Tight’

Biden, Feds Possess Secret AI Tool to Censor and Indoctrinate ‘At Scale’ Ahead of Election – What You Need to Know

Bragg ‘allowed political motivations’ to ‘infect’ prosecution of Trump, House Judiciary GOP says

Police at Princeton pop-up encampment arrest 2 as anti-Israel protests sweep universities

Federal judge rejects Trump request for new trial in E. Jean Carroll suit, says he must pay $83.3 million

NYC Construction Workers and Union Members Go Wild When Trump Makes Unexpected Visit En Route to Courthouse

A Nuclear Apocalypse Has Never Been This Fun: After the ‘Fallout’ Show, Here Are the Games to Play

Dems attack Johnson over impassioned Columbia speech condemning anti-Israel student activists

Trump slams ‘Bidenomics’ ahead of court, claims to have a ‘good chance’ of winning liberal state

‘You’ve Got to Be Kidding’: Upcoming O.J. Simpson Biopic Reaches New Low for Hollywood, Depicts Him as Innocent

Foreign Students Who Get Suspended for Anti-Israel Activities Could Face Even Tougher Punishment, DHS Confirms

Lack of information on health care prices is a widespread problem . It’s confusing for patients, and experts say it’s also one of the major factors that push up U.S. costs. The same test or procedure, in the same city, can cost widely different amounts depending on who is performing it and who is paying the bill. Hospital list prices, which are available, don’t reflect what they actually get paid by insurers and government programs.

The health insurance industry said disclosing negotiated prices will only encourage hospitals that are now providing deeper discounts to try to raise their rates to match the top-tier facilities. “Publicly disclosing competitively negotiated proprietary rates will reduce competition and push prices higher — not lower — for consumers, patients, and taxpayers,” Matt Eyles, head of the industry group America’s Health Insurance Plans, said in a statement.

While the prices Medicare pays are publicly available, private insurers’ negotiated rates generally are not. Industry officials say such contractual information is tantamount to trade secrets and should remain private.

Azar pushed back against that argument, saying insurers do ultimately disclose their payment rates when they send individual patients an “explanation of benefits.” That’s the technical term for the form that patients get after they’ve had a procedure or seen the doctor.