A bill has been introduced in the Wisconsin legislature related to making sure that consumers know the costs of healthcare services, but also includes new requirements when seeking to obtain judgments for unpaid medical debts.
Driving the news: Wisconsin Assembly Bill 353, introduced on July 8, would require hospitals to publicly disclose pricing information and would bar any party from obtaining a judgment for unpaid medical debts unless the hospital is in compliance with those price transparency requirements.
The bill, referred to the Committee on Health, Aging and Long-Term Care, is sponsored by a group of Wisconsin lawmakers.
The details: The bill outlines comprehensive hospital price transparency requirements, including:
- Digital Publication of Standard Charges: Hospitals must maintain and publicly display a digital, machine-readable file listing standard charges for all items and services. This includes gross charges, negotiated charges by payer, minimum and maximum negotiated charges, and discounted cash prices.
- Shoppable Services List: Hospitals must provide a consumer-friendly list of charges for at least 300 shoppable services (or all that they offer if fewer than 300), including the 70 CMS-specified services when applicable.
- Accessibility: The information must be free to access, not require a user account or identifying information, and be easily searchable and indexable by search engines.
- Enforcement: The Department of Health Services (DHS) would enforce compliance, monitor websites, evaluate complaints, request corrective action plans, and assess penalties for violations. Noncompliant hospitals could face daily penalties ranging from $600 to $10,000, depending on hospital size.
- Public Accountability: DHS must maintain a public list of noncompliant hospitals and factor compliance into license renewal decisions.
Debt collection provision: A key provision in the bill states that before any party may seek a court judgment against a patient for unpaid hospital debts, they must file a sworn certification stating that the hospital in question is not listed as noncompliant with the price transparency requirements by DHS.
