Indiana hospitals fail to comply with federal price transparency rules 

Indiana hospitals are falling short of federal requirements to make their pricing information publicly accessible, leaving patients in the dark about the cost of medical services.  A federal rule that went into effect in 2021 requires hospitals to post clear, accessible pricing online for common services, but a recent report by Patient Rights Advocate (PRA) reveals that many Indiana hospitals are not meeting this standard.& & Noncompliance ranges from incomplete data to entirely missing pricing disclosures, raising concerns about the lack of transparency and its impact on patients’ ability to make informed financial decisions.& & (Photo/Getty) Cynthia Fisher, founder and chair of PRA, runs the nonprofit dedicated to making sure consumers know the prices of health care up front.& “We know that price transparency protects patients from overcharges and overbilling,” Fisher said. “We’re finding that prices vary by 10 times in same hospitals on average, and, across hospitals in the same state, we’re seeing price variation on average 30 times (for the same service).”& (Photo/Getty) According to the Kaiser Family Foundation 2024 census on medical debt, approximately 14 million people (6% of adults) in the U.S. owe over $1,000 in medical debt. In October, the Biden-Harris administration announced new actions...