Bill sponsor Sen. Irene Aguilar (D) says the legislation is intended to address transparency issues, as “nobody knows what anything costs” in hospitals, according to the report. The bill would protect consumers by offering patients options to pay their bills without going bankrupt, according to the report.
While most hospital officials agree with the need for more transparency in their charges and charity policies, some say the bill is “price fixing” that could ruin their hospitals. One CFO cited in the report said the issue is too complicated to be resolved with one bill, as it is an issue facing the entire American medical system.
The CFO also noted that many uninsured patients manage to ignore their healthcare bills while continuing to spend on cable television and expensive cars. A state senator called those remarks on the “verge of insulting.”
Related Articles on Hospital Transparency:
8 Steps to Building a Truly Transparent Hospital
Proposed Medicaid Rules Could Make Hospital Errors Public in Missouri
Stanford’s Transparency-Focused Program Yielded $32M Yearly Savings in Liability Premiums
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