Compliance with price transparency rules in United States (US) pediatric hospitals

Area of Science:

• Healthcare administration
• Health policy
• Patient advocacy

Background:

• The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid price transparency rule mandates hospitals to disclose charges for services.
• This rule aims to empower patients with cost information for informed healthcare decisions.
• Compliance is crucial for preventing unexpected medical expenses for patients and families.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the compliance rate of United States pediatric hospitals with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid price transparency rule.
• To identify the extent to which pediatric hospitals adhere to the rule's requirements for standard charge files and shoppable services.

Main Methods:

• Data was collected by examining the websites of US pediatric hospitals listed by the Children's Hospital Association.
• Website analysis focused on the presence and completeness of standard charge files and shoppable services.
• The study period for data collection was January and February 2023.

Main Results:

• Only 48.7% of surveyed US pediatric hospitals demonstrated full compliance with all components of the price transparency rule.
• A significant gap in compliance exists despite the rule being in effect for nearly three years.
• Many pediatric hospitals may not be providing patients with accessible and comprehensive cost information.

Conclusions:

• US pediatric hospitals exhibit low compliance rates with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid price transparency rule.
• Improved adherence is necessary to ensure patients can access crucial healthcare cost information.
• Further monitoring and enforcement may be required to achieve widespread compliance.