Across the country, hardworking families are struggling with skyrocketing hospital bills that too often come with little warning, opaque pricing, and no ability to compare costs prior to receiving care.  This harsh reality can quickly turn into a crisis for underserved communities who disproportionately face barriers to affordable care.

Under current law, hospitals are supposed to post pricing data, including negotiated rates and discounts, so patients can compare costs for services before getting care.  However, analyses show that the data hospitals provide is inconsistent, messy, and often unusable for consumers, making true price comparison nearly impossible.  

This lack of transparency undercuts competition and leaves families vulnerable to surprise bills and inflated charges.  Patients need, and are calling for, for true transparency.  For example, a recent poll in Maryland found that 94% of respondents are frustrated by high healthcare costs, wanting the legislature to review hospital pricing.

That’s why Congress must act with meaningful reform.  In the House, H.R. 267, the “Health Care PRICE Transparency Act” would strengthen and clarify hospital and insurer pricing disclosures, requiring clear, consumer-friendly publication of negotiated rates, cash prices, and other pricing data.  In the Senate, S. 2355, the “Patients Deserve Price Tags Act,” would similarly tighten transparency requirements, mandate accessible pricing for services, and extend these obligations to insurers and additional providers.  These reforms aim to finally give patients the ability to see and compare actual prices.

The stakes are especially high for underserved communities. For example,  Hispanic patients are more likely to be uninsured or underinsured and therefore particularly exposed to inflated hospital charges and surprise billing.  When hospitals obscure costs or fail to provide clear pricing, it too easily delays care, erodes trust in the health care system, and result in greater medical debt.   Empowering families with transparent prices helps them budget for care, compare providers, and avoid unnecessary financial harm.

Reducing pricing abuse would also promote competition.  Requiring hospitals to publish clear, comparable prices can help drive down costs.

Congress must pass real transparency legislation this session. Doing so would deliver tangible relief to the millions of Americans struggling under rising health care costs, while strengthening accountability and competition in our health care system.