The federal rule requiring hospitals to post prices online that took effect in January 2021 has not yet lived up to its promise of lowering healthcare costs, Roll Call reported June 2.
Data provided from hospitals is often incomplete and difficult to decipher and compare with other hospitals, according to the report. Common issues include blank or missing data fields; not listing rates for all insurers or cash rates paid by the uninsured; inaccurate prices; and listing payer names without associated plan names.
CMS does not require hospitals to post data in specific formats, making it difficult for researchers to compare files released by different hospitals, according to the report. The only requirement is the files must be machine readable.
About 4,500 hospitals of the 6,093 in the U.S. have posted data files, Turquoise Health told Roll Call. The company formed at the end of 2020 to analyze data and help providers and payers become compliant with the rules.
Marcus Dorstel, vice president of operations at Turquoise Health, said there isn't a pattern showing that hospitals are less likely to comply. There are geographic patterns, however,indicating some hospitals may be reluctant to post data before their competitors, he said.
CMS has not issued fines for noncompliance. An agency spokesperson told Roll Call that each hospital that has come under compliance review has resolved its deficiencies or is in the process of doing so. To date, the agency has issued 352 noncompliance warning notices and 157 corrective action plan requests.