Senator Kennedy introduces new bill to make hospital bill clearer

WASHINGTON, DC (BRPROUD) – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) introduced legislation Thursday to make hospital bills easier to read. The Hospital Transparency Compliance Enforcement Act would impose penalties on hospitals that prevent patients from seeing the true cost of products and services.

“Patients deserve to know the true cost of hospital items and services. I wrote this bill
To protect patients by having hospitals clarify how much a visit can really cost
Patients can make informed decisions about their care,” Kennedy said.

The law, if passed, would result in hospitals having a public price list for everything. The hospital must also present the costs in a way that people can easily access. According to a 2023 study, out of 2,000 hospitals, only 489 would be considered fully compliant.

In January 2022, the penalties for hospitals that do not comply with existing transparency rules were increased. The scale ranges from $300 to $5,500 per day and depends on the size of the facility.

This proposal would double the current fine, require all hospitals to comply within six months, discourage hospitals from hiding information on their websites, and give hospitals 60 days after a reminder to pay the fine. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services would publicize non-compliant hospitals.

The full introduction of the bill can be read below.