From WisPolitics.com/WisBusiness.com …
— Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce is calling for state-level hospital price transparency laws, saying the change would help rein in high health care costs.
But the Wisconsin Hospital Association says the push for these laws relies on flawed information, arguing Wisconsin is one of the “best performing” states in the country for hospital price transparency.
WMC today released a video that says hospital costs in Wisconsin are the most expensive in the Midwest and the fourth highest in the country. Rachel Ver Velde, the group’s associate vice president of government relations and senior political advisor, said hospitals “drive a major share” of health care costs.
“Data shows no clear link between cost and quality,” she said in the video. “Some top-rated hospitals actually charge less. Unlike most industries, patients often don’t know what they’ll pay until after treatment, and prices for the same procedure can vary dramatically.”
She also claimed just 30% of Wisconsin hospitals are “fully compliant” with federal price transparency rules introduced in 2021. That figure comes from a November 2024 report from the nonprofit group Patient Rights Advocate, according to a WMC spokesperson.
Meanwhile, WHA President and CEO Kyle O’Brien says groups pushing for state-level legislation on hospital price transparency are using “outdated and inaccurate information to paint a misleading picture” on this issue.
In a statement today, he noted “not one Wisconsin hospital” has been fined for noncompliance since the federal regulations took effect in 2021.
“This fact is indisputable, Wisconsin is among the best performing states for hospital price transparency in the country,” he said.
The American Hospital Association has previously criticized Patient Rights Advocate, arguing a previous report on this topic from the group “blatantly misconstrues, ignores, and mischaracterizes” how hospitals are complying with federal price transparency rules.
The WMC video also points to a new Colorado law that requires hospitals to post prices and give patients tools to compare prices for procedures, which Ver Velde says “empowers patients” with more choices.
“Wisconsin lawmakers are pushing similar reforms, demanding clear online pricing and penalties for noncompliance,” she said, adding “it’s time to shine a light on costs, hold hospitals accountable, and put affordable care within reach for all Wisconsinites.”
Watch WMC’s video and see the release below.
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