All U.S. Hospitals Will Now Be Required to List Their Prices Online
Beginning in 2019, Americans will no longer need to make 30 phone calls to figure out how much it will cost to deliver a baby or get an X-ray. According to Newsweek, a new federal rule will require hospitals across the country to list their prices online beginning on January 1, 2019.
Critical access hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, and rehabilitation facilities will soon be required to list the prices of the procedures, surgeries, and medical supplies they offer, including drugs and anaesthesia. The Affordable Care Act of 2010 stipulated that medical costs be made public, but the new federal rule goes a step further and requires that this information to be posted online, allowing easy access to would-be patients.
Publicity and awareness will likely lead to better competition and better pricing one would hope, and it will be interesting to see if this spreads to other countries as health costs are very expensive and the lack of transparency works against potential patients who are usually clueless about the details and implications.
See https://mentalfloss.com/article/568662/us-hospitals-must-list-prices-online-per-new-federal-law
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All U.S. Hospitals Will Now Be Required to List Their Prices Online No more surprises when you get your medical bill. |