Two years after implementation of a price transparency law, a new analysis finds only about a quarter of hospitals are complying

A new report shows that a large majority of hospitals are not complying with a price transparency law that was enacted two years ago.

The group Patient Rights Advocate analyzed the websites of 2,000 hospitals nationwide and found a low percentage were posting their prices.

“Only 25% of the nation’s largest hospitals in our report are showing full compliance with the law to post all of their prices,” said PRA founder and CEO Cynthia Fisher.

According to the report, Illinois hospitals fared slightly better complying with the price transparency law. Twenty-two out of 59 hospitals reviewed were fully complying with the rule, which is 37%.

Some of the hospitals that are complying include the Advocate Hospital System, Northwestern Hospitals, Springfield Memorial Hospital and the University of Illinois Medical Center.

Nearly 6%, or 116 hospitals nationwide did not post any standard charges file and were in total noncompliance.

Hospitals found to be noncompliant are supposed to be subject to a minimum fine of $300 and a maximum fine of $5,500 per day for a total fine of $2,000,000.

Fisher said patients benefit if they can see the prices before they choose a health care provider.

“Then we can see the wide price variations, even in the same hospital themselves for the same service, and we make hospitals and insurance companies have to compete on price and quality,” said Fisher.

Some hospitals and health care systems have argued that the rule is too expensive to implement and remains confusing two years later.