Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Education and Workforce, 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 Lower Costs, More Transparency Act of 2026 requires hospitals, imaging centers, ambulatory surgical centers, and health insurance plans to publicly disclose pricing information starting January 1, 2028, using standardized, consumer-friendly formats accessible online at no cost. Hospitals and surgical centers must post standard charges and prices for at least 300 shoppable services, while insurers must provide patients on-demand cost estimates and publicly release negotiated rates with providers in machine-readable formats updated quarterly. The bill also requires imaging providers to disclose service prices and mandates that pharmacy benefit managers reveal "spread pricing" situations where they profit from the difference between what plans reimburse them and what they actually pay pharmacies. Enforcement includes civil penalties ranging from $300 per day for smaller providers to up to $10 million for large hospitals with persistent violations, though the Department of Health and Human Services can waive or reduce penalties for rural or underserved facilities facing access threats. The bill also directs federal agencies to study how to use technology like application programming interfaces to further improve consumer access to healthcare pricing information.
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