House Bill 1175, which Florida Governor Rick Scott signed into law earlier this month, makes significant strides toward health care cost transparency. That is, it requires hospitals and other health care facilities to reveal the average amount paid for a procedure, rather than what is charged for the procedure.
Not many people pay that regular charge, Gunster health care law practice leader Bruce Lamb recently told Law360. The new law, focusing on the estimated average payout, is much more meaningful, he says.
The law goes into effect on July 1, and the state's Agency for Health Care Administration has until Oct. 1 to choose a vendor to create the online portal through which consumers can access the cost information and compare prices.
Timelines in which to respond to consumer requests for cost estimates, and higher fines for noncompliance, are included in the new law.
Health care facilities will need to make sure they have the staffing resources needed to comply with the new law, Lamb says in the article, and consequently, compliance costs are a concern.
Read the article: Hospital law puts Florida at head of price transparency push (Law360, 4/22/16) - note: subscription required.
Read related: PriceCheck: What we mean when we talk about prices (WLRN, 4/21/16)
