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Bill would require reporting of ASC procedure prices

Ambulatory Surgery Reimbursement Update, April 5, 2005

The U.S. House of Representatives is considering legislation that calls for the disclosure of prices for ambulatory surgery center (ASC) procedures.

The bill, called the Hospital Price Disclosure Act, would require ASCs to regularly report the prices of the 25 most common outpatient procedures to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). The HHS would publish the price information on the Internet.

"As employees are spending more of their own money on health care services, they have a right to know how much different health care facilities charge for outpatient procedures," said Rep. Dan Lipinski, the congressman behind the bill, in a statement on his government Web site.

The bill would require hospitals to report the 25 most commonly performed inpatient procedures and the 50 most frequently administered medications. The data from both would be published on the Internet, and both ASCs and hospitals would have to post a notice informing patients of the availability of the data.

"We all want more facts at our disposal when making health care decisions for ourselves and our families," Lipinski said. "This legislation will help all health care consumers make better choices about where to seek inpatient and outpatient care."

The bill has been referred to the House Energy and Commerce and the House Ways and Means committees.

To view the bill (H.R. 1362), click here.

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