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.
Brian Hooker’s stepmom wants to help investigators as she suspects he ‘lied about everything’: reports
Hawaii’s Democratic lieutenant governor indicted in state corruption investigation
What happened to Michelle Hadley? 5 things to know about ‘A Toxic Love Story’ case
GOP’s freshman firebrand goes viral targeting ‘utterly intellectually indefensible’ DEI policies
Uyghur Pastor in China Faces Forced Church Closure from Communist Officials
Trump revels in his first WHCA dinner speech despite serious tone and tight security
Schools Shutter Across US Opening Door for Seniors to Move in
California votes to double down on bad, left-wing policy outcomes
John Cornyn settles into ‘liberating’ leverage role on his way to retirement
‘Fraudulent, Biased And Misleading’: Trump Rails Against NGO After It Put Out Bezos-Backed Climate Report
From locker rooms to Congress: Jay Feely latest athlete seeking to take lessons in leadership to Capitol Hill
Here’s what you missed from Trump’s first WHCA Dinner as president: 5 takeaways from his night with the press
Christian in Pakistan Killed by Muslim After Being Denied Drink of Water
2028, term limits, media tension: Everything Trump covered in wild marathon speech at the White House Press Correspondents’ Association dinner
Trump spares no one at WHCA dinner, taking aim at Dems, press and his own Cabinet
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.
Brian Hooker’s stepmom wants to help investigators as she suspects he ‘lied about everything’: reports
Hawaii’s Democratic lieutenant governor indicted in state corruption investigation
What happened to Michelle Hadley? 5 things to know about ‘A Toxic Love Story’ case
GOP’s freshman firebrand goes viral targeting ‘utterly intellectually indefensible’ DEI policies
Uyghur Pastor in China Faces Forced Church Closure from Communist Officials
Trump revels in his first WHCA dinner speech despite serious tone and tight security
Schools Shutter Across US Opening Door for Seniors to Move in
California votes to double down on bad, left-wing policy outcomes
John Cornyn settles into ‘liberating’ leverage role on his way to retirement
‘Fraudulent, Biased And Misleading’: Trump Rails Against NGO After It Put Out Bezos-Backed Climate Report
From locker rooms to Congress: Jay Feely latest athlete seeking to take lessons in leadership to Capitol Hill
Here’s what you missed from Trump’s first WHCA Dinner as president: 5 takeaways from his night with the press
Christian in Pakistan Killed by Muslim After Being Denied Drink of Water
2028, term limits, media tension: Everything Trump covered in wild marathon speech at the White House Press Correspondents’ Association dinner
Trump spares no one at WHCA dinner, taking aim at Dems, press and his own Cabinet
The president used his remarks to also take shots at former President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act as well as 2020 presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders and his “Medicare for all” plan. Sanders’ plan would replace job-based and individual private health insurance with a government-run plan that guarantees coverage for all with no premiums, deductibles and minimal copays for certain services.
“Democrats in Congress support Bernie Sanders’ socialist takedown of American health care,” Trump said. “Under my administration, we will not let that happen.”
Story cited here.
