A nonpartisan patient rights organization, PatientsRightsAdvocate.org, is urging President Donald Trump to take action on improving healthcare price transparency as the White House prepares to unveil a new healthcare proposal.
The group, led by founder Cynthia Fisher, is calling on the Trump administration to take steps to ensure that employers and patients have access to detailed healthcare cost information. This includes provisions such as requiring hospitals to disclose the actual prices for 300 specific services and supporting the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act, which would mandate transparent pricing.
The push for transparency aligns with previous measures, including Trump’s executive order to enforce transparency regulations. However, the timing of the new healthcare plan remains uncertain, as officials have not yet provided a clear timeline for its release. This effort comes amid widespread public support for transparency in healthcare pricing, with nearly 90% of U.S. voters backing regulations that would require hospitals and insurance companies to provide exact prices upfront.
David Kochel, a Republican campaign strategist, emphasized that addressing healthcare cost transparency could be a significant political move, helping to shift the narrative on healthcare and regain public trust. The potential healthcare plan also arises amid ongoing debates over the extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies and the aftermath of the government shutdown in October.
While Democrats initially resisted backing a measure without permanent extension of the subsidies, they eventually joined a short-term spending bill that does not provide indefinite support for the ACA subsidies. However, Senate Majority Leader John Thune has committed to a December vote on legislation to extend these credits, signaling a continued effort to address the issue.
As the administration prepares to release its proposal, the focus on price transparency continues to draw attention and public support, highlighting a growing demand for accountability and fairness in the healthcare system.