Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Workforce, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
The Patients Deserve Price Tags Act requires hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, laboratories, imaging providers, and health insurance plans to publicly disclose detailed pricing information in plain language and machine-readable formats, with implementation deadlines ranging from January 2026 through July 2027. Hospitals must post prices for at least 300 shoppable services by December 2026 (including gross charges, discounted cash prices, and negotiated rates), while insurers must provide patients with real-time tools to see expected out-of-pocket costs before receiving care and must send itemized explanations of benefits within 45 days. The bill also requires healthcare providers to issue itemized bills within 30 days, prohibits collecting payments exceeding previously disclosed prices, and voids contractual "gag clauses" that prevent plans from accessing pricing and claims data from service providers. Non-compliance is punished with escalating civil penalties ranging from $300 per day for general violations up to $10 million for willful hospital violations and $100,000 per day for certain service provider violations. Overall, the legislation aims to empower patients to shop for care more transparently while enabling health plans and regulators to better monitor provider pricing practices.
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