Prognosis
Trump Seeks to Force Hospitals to Open Books as They Fight Virus
- President wants price transparency provision in next stimulus
- White House believes law would end court fight with hospitals
A nurse exits patient’s room at a hospital in Vancouver, Washington.
Photographer: Nathan Howard/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The White House wants Congress to require hospitals and insurers to reveal the prices they negotiate for medical services as part of any additional round of coronavirus stimulus, in an effort to short-circuit a legal battle with the health care industry.
The U.S. Health and Human Services Department published two regulations last year requiring hospitals and insurers to make their prices public. The industry has challenged the hospital rule in court, arguing it’s a violation of the First Amendment, and successfully delayed its implementation.