Do not buy into 'misguided' assessments of price transparency compliance, hospital group says

The American Hospital Association said patients should be wary of reports regarding federal hospital price transparency compliance reports from organizations other than CMS. 

The group said in a June 16 post on its website that organizations have reached "wildly different conclusions about the status of implementation across the hospital field." It points to two reports as examples. A report from Patient Rights Advocate said 14 percent of hospitals are compliant. Another from Milliman found a 68 percent compliance rate. 

The American Hospital Association said these groups are ignoring CMS' guidance on aspects of the rule, such as how to fill in an individual negotiated rate when such a rate does not exist due to patient services being bundled and billed together. In this instance a blank cell is appropriate, but outside reports count any file with blank cells as noncompliant. 

"CMS, the only true arbiter, has indicated about 160 hospitals remain out of compliance, a much smaller number than either the Patient Rights Advocate or Milliman reports suggest," the American Hospital Association said in the post. 

CMS handed down the first price transparency violation fines June 7. Atlanta-based Northside Hospital was fined more than $1 million for noncompliance at two of its hospitals. 

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