US to force hospitals to reveal service rates
The Trump administration said Friday it would begin forcing US hospitals to publish their prices of care and the discounted deals they reach with insurers from 2021 in a bid to rein in health care costs. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposed a separate new rule that would force private insurance companies to give patients cost estimates before they see a doctor or get treatment. The initiative is part of a wider effort to ensure more transparency in the US health care industry, which is notorious for being opaque when it comes to costs. HHS Secretary Alex Azar said the move would help by “shining light on the costs of our shadowy system.” Currently, patients are often at a loss when they seek guidance on how much a procedure will cost them. Some end up agreeing to procedures without knowing the price they will pay.
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