In today’s political environment, bipartisanship is rare. But on this one issue, Americans are in agreement. So why isn’t it happening?
Friend,
In today’s political environment, it’s tough to find one topic that 90% of Americans agree on. But there’s one issue that brings everyone together: The need for price transparency in America’s healthcare system.
The frustration with hidden healthcare prices is so universal that 90% of Americans support public policies requiring hospitals, medical providers, and insurance companies to disclose their prices. Too many of us have experienced shocking medical bills after we’ve received care, when there’s little we can do.
The Trump administration attempted to change this back in 2021, with rules that require healthcare providers to disclose their prices to customers. But since then, hospital lobbies and special interest groups have fought tooth and nail to keep Americans confused and in the dark when it comes to pricing, leading to inconsistent and incomplete information.
Despite the Biden administration also backing the rule, a report by Patient Rights Advocate found that two years later, only a quarter of hospitals were fully compliant.
Through a series of FAQs, delays, exceptions, and “indefinite pauses” on certain price transparency requirements — likely in response to pressure from the healthcare industry — the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury took actions that ultimately have denied the American people the price transparency we deserve.
Here’s the good news: a government watchdog organization just filed a new lawsuit that is exposing how and why price transparency in health care still isn’t happening in the United States.
And that’s not all: lawmakers in the House Energy and Commerce Committee this week ramped up pressure to enforce real price transparency by hosting a hearing that focused on ways to drive down the cost of healthcare through transparency and competition in the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
“Patients shouldn’t be in the dark until after they receive care and their bills come,” Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., said during Tuesday’s hearing.
At IWF, we are working hard to back these efforts and ensure Americans have access to the true price transparency they deserve.
As part of that effort, we’re collecting stories from REAL Americans, like yourself, who’ve been mistreated by the medical system and faced surprise medical bills they weren’t expecting.
Your stories will help us build on this week’s momentum to demand that insurers and medical providers give patients the access, freedom, and security surrounding their health care that they deserve.
With 90% of Americans in agreement, there’s no excuse not to make this happen!
Thank you,
Kelsey Bolar
NOTE: You do NOT need to submit private, medical information to share your story. Simply send us a short summary of what happened.
