A new report shows that 18 months after a law went into effect that requires hospitals to post prices online, most hospitals continue to hide the cost of care from patients.
The report from PatientRightsAdvocate.org shows that 80% of the hospitals surveyed in Florida are not complying with the law.
Cynthia Fisher, the website’s founder and chairman, said no other part of the economy requires people write a blank check for service.
“The American public and health care have suffered from Stockholm syndrome. Patients have been blind to know prices, blindsided with outrageous medical bills they never expected to pay. And before we get our care, we have to sign that we will pay with a blank check whatever the hospitals choose to charge us,” Fisher said.
She said hospitals that have been fined have been quick to comply with the price transparency law. Two hospitals in Georgia recently started posting prices online after they were fined by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
"Within weeks, both of them became compliant,” Fisher said. “And in fact, our report shows that monetary fines and embarrassment to these hospitals does work when HHS does its job and enforces this law."
President Joe Biden recently increased the fine for noncompliance to $2 million per hospital, per year.
You can see the full report here.
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