Lower Bucks Today

A bipartisan effort to enhance hospital pricing transparency has successfully passed the Pennsylvania House. The bill, supported by Reps. Tarik Khan (D-Philadelphia), David Rowe (R-Snyder/Union/Mifflin/Juniata), Benjamin Sanchez (D-Montgomery), K.C. Tomlinson (R-Bucks), Jim Prokopiak (D-Bucks), and Dawn Keefer (R-York), aims to establish state-level oversight based on federal guidelines from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

The proposed legislation mandates hospitals to publicly list all standard charges for services and items, accessible free of charge on their websites' home pages. Following its passage in the House with a 168-to-34 vote, several representatives expressed their views.

"As a nurse practitioner, all too often my patients are left in the dark on the cost of basic hospital services. This contributes to surprise hospital bills and patient medical debt," said Khan. "Pennsylvania lags far behind other states for patients and employers to be able to shop around for healthcare. I was proud to work on this bipartisan effort with Rep. Rowe and colleagues to pass this pro-patient, pro-business and pro-consumer bill in the PA House!"

"Health care comprises 20% of the United States’ economy, and there’s currently no functional market for consumers to compare prices and make informed decisions about where they receive medical treatment," said Rowe. "You can drive across town to make sure you’re getting the best deal on a car, but there’s currently no way to shop around for where you receive medical procedures where the cost savings could be as much as 700%. This bill will change that for Pennsylvanians."

"Pennsylvanians have the right to choose health care providers that best suit their needs, and cost plays a huge role in making that decision," Sanchez said. "Ensuring prices are prominently displayed and easily understood allows people to make informed decisions that allow them to prioritize quality care with respect to their budget. I was happy to work on this bill with colleagues from both sides of the aisle, coming together to crack down on surprise medical bills."

"I am thrilled to see House Bill 2339 pass," said Tomlinson. "This will provide much-needed transparency to our health care system and make sure charges will be known and clear for our constituents across the state."

"Consumers deserve transparency in the cost of non-emergency hospital care. House Bill 2339 ensures patients can compare the cost of tests and procedures at different hospitals so they can make informed choices, which in the end, will benefit Pennsylvanian pocketbook," said Prokopiak.

"We have worked on this bipartisan bill for over a year to ensure efficacy. While this may not be the silver bullet that stops sky-rocketing costs of health care, it does provide a critical transparency framework and nothing can be accomplished without transparency," Keefer said.

House Bill 2339 also seeks protection against debt collection actions for non-compliant hospitals or reporting individuals' cases if hospitals fail compliance with transparency rules.

The legislation now moves forward for Senate consideration, where its sponsors hope it will continue receiving bipartisan support.