MON AM News: WHA denouncing ‘flawed’ hospital price transparency report; Ports calling for standalone maritime plan to expand shipping

September 14, 2026

— The Wisconsin Hospital Association is denouncing as “flawed” a new report from an advocacy group that found just 61% of the hospitals it assessed in Wisconsin are fully complying with federal price transparency rules.

The nonprofit PatientRightsAdvocate.org last week issued its eighth Hospital Price Transparency Compliance Report, which assessed 2,000 hospitals across the country.

It found 49.4% of these hospitals were in full compliance with federal hospital price transparency rules, noting that’s the highest level the report has found. Prior reports that looked at the same number of hospitals ranged from 16% to 34.5%.

“However, hospitals continue to post incalculable algorithms and percentages, in lieu of actual, dollar-and-cents prices, leaving patients in the dark,” authors wrote.

The report looked at 46 hospitals in Wisconsin, finding 28 were compliant and 18 were noncompliant, while 24 had “sufficient” pricing data available. Its assessment is based in part on a federal rule that took effect in 2021, requiring hospitals to publicly post prices in machine-readable formats as well as consumer-friendly information for common services.

But when asked for comment on the nonprofit’s findings, WHA President Kyle O’Brien said the group found “multiple errors” with the group’s report within minutes.

“This has been a trend with PRA, releasing outdated and incorrect data to paint hospitals in a bad light,” O’Brien said in a statement.

Along with the fact that the report looked at just one-third of hospitals in the state, WHA pointed to several other issues with the report’s findings, including information contradicting its claims that SSM St. Agnes in Fond du Lac and Watertown Regional Medical Center don’t pass a file validator tool from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

At the same time, report authors claimed two of 14 Aurora hospitals had incorrect header templates for their files, despite the health system using the same header template for all of its hospital files.

Meanwhile, multiple Wisconsin hospitals included in the study pass every transparency measure included in the report except for the nonprofit’s own “Pricing Data Sufficiency” metric. The group says this measure assesses the completeness of posted pricing data, including if the hospital posted payer-specific negotiated charges in dollars and cents for at least half of the items and services identified.

Despite the group’s findings, O’Brien notes no Wisconsin hospital has been fined for noncompliance by federal regulators who have conducted more than 13,000 reviews of hospital files across the country.

See the report.

— The Wisconsin Commercial Ports Association is calling for a new, comprehensive Wisconsin Maritime Plan to set a long-term strategy for expanding commercial activities on Lake Michigan, Lake Superior and the Mississippi River.

After leaders of the state’s commercial ports gathered last week in Green Bay, the group on Friday issued details on their priorities for the proposed plan.

The association is seeking to assess existing maritime assets and freight flows, identify infrastructure needs and strengthen connections between Wisconsin’s ports and other transportation sectors.

Nate Gilberts, city planner for the Port of Prairie du Chien, says a new plan covering these focus areas would help shipping leaders “look beyond individual projects and communities and establish a coordinated vision” for the whole state.

“Wisconsin should be deliberate about how we maintain our existing maritime assets, prepare for future freight opportunities and ensure that ports of every size can contribute to statewide economic growth,” Gilberts said in a statement.

While Wisconsin has previously had various shipping and freight plans outlined, it’s never put forth a standalone maritime plan that wasn’t rolled into a broader planning effort.

As other Midwest states are now funding and publishing maritime plans of their own — including Ohio and Michigan with one from Minnesota in the works — port leaders want to do the same for Wisconsin, as a state-approved framework can be helpful when applying for related grant funding.

The WCPA last week also “reaffirmed” its policy agenda, which includes sustained investment and ports and harbors, dredging and navigation reliability, environmental stewardship, better coordination with state and federal partners and other priorities.

Meanwhile, the association also elected Port Milwaukee Director Benjamin Timm as its president, according to Friday’s release.

Timm said in a statement he’s honored to serve in the role, touting the role of Wisconsin’s ports as “essential economic infrastructure, connecting our manufacturers, farmers and businesses with domestic and international markets.”

See the release.

— A federal appeals court has vacated an Energy Department order to keep open an aging Midwestern coal-fired plant.

Wisconsin is one of several Midwestern states that has borne the cost to continue operating the J.H. Campbell Power Plant in Michigan, after the Trump administration issued a series of 90-day emergency orders to keep the plant open past its originally scheduled retirement in May 2025.

The utility has reported $295 million in costs associated with keeping the plant open through June.

On Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit vacated the first of those 90-day orders in response to a challenge filed by the attorneys general of Michigan, Minnesota and Illinois.

The court found the Energy Department’s position would allow it to choose how states generate power without regard for states’ own reliability planning.

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul was not part of the original challenge, but has joined challenges to subsequent 90-day orders.

Gov. Tony Evers has written multiple letters to DOE Secretary Chris Wright asking for stay-open orders for the J.H. Campbell plant and two coal-fired plants in Indiana be rescinded.

Utility watchdog Citizens Utility Board of Wisconsin submitted an amicus brief in support of the states’ position.

In a statement Friday, CUB general counsel Daniel Narvey said he was “pleased” with the court’s ruling.

“CUB is committed to ensuring that none of those costs are passed on to Wisconsin electricity consumers in light of the determination that the emergency orders were unlawful,” Narvey said.

CUB is also party to a case, currently pending before the D.C. circuit, challenging the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission order to split the plant’s operating costs between several states.

Consumers Energy, the Michigan utility that operates the J.H. Campbell plant, is continuing to operate the plant as of Friday under the most recent 90-day order, which went into effect on August 17.

Speaking to WisPolitics on Friday, spokesperson Brian Wheeler said the utility is working to determine how the circuit court’s ruling will impact the current stay-open order.

In a statement, the Energy Department said the stay-open orders “prevented blackouts and likely saved hundreds of lives” during periods of high energy demand last winter.

“Rest assured, the Department of Energy will continue to protect and defend energy security for all Americans,” a DOE spokesperson said.

— Local officials have begun the process of updating the Airport Master Plan for Dane County Regional Airport, a multi-year effort seen as key to landing federal grants for future projects.

Dane County Executive Melissa Agard on Friday announced the start of the process, after signing a contract last month with Minnesota firm SEH Inc. to facilitate it. She notes the Dane County Regional Airport anchors the fastest-growing county in Wisconsin, arguing “we must plan for the future growth” of the airport.

“Planning for future growth now is the best way to ensure our airport continues to meet the needs of travelers and remains a strong economic driver for the South Central Wisconsin region,” she said in a statement.

The Federal Aviation Administration earlier this year approved the scope of the project, and is covering 90% of the $5.8 million total cost, according to the county. The state’s Bureau of Aeronautics and the airport itself are each covering 5% of the project cost.

Once finished, the new Airport Master Plan will update the previous one that was completed in 1993, the release shows.

Along with an airfield evaluation, the process will include mapping out property inventory, conducting environmental assessments, examining future needs and demands, conducting a geographic survey, and assessing parking and ground transportation as well as future development options.

See the release.

— U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin is touting her “For the Fans Act” bill as the Green Bay Packers season gets started, calling for a free, live option for sports fans in Wisconsin to watch their home teams play.

Ahead of the team’s game yesterday against the Minnesota Vikings, the Madison Dem urged passage of her legislation to “stop the confusing maze of subscriptions” and lower costs for sports fans.

Her release notes about a quarter of Packer games this season will air exclusively on streaming platforms, and only residents of the Green Bay and Milwaukee media markets are guaranteed to get the games on local broadcast TV.

“Right now, we are watching the big billionaire-owned streaming giants and the NFL rig the rules and force us to fork up more and more money just to watch our home teams play,” Baldwin said in a statement.

The legislation would require free viewing access for local fans and end “blackouts” on league-owned streaming services. It would apply to professional baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and soccer, with exceptions for minor leagues and other small sports leagues.

See the release.

— The co-hosts of the “Talking Trade” podcast will discuss U.S.-China relations with Pacific Enterprise Capital International founder Michael Sacharski this week during a live event.

Sandi Siegel, CEO of M.E. Dey & Co., and Ken Wasylik, managing director of E.M. Wasylik Associates will discuss the latest developments in this relationship with Sacharski, an expert on China who’s spent decades living and working there.

“The State of U.S.-China Relations 2026-2028: Déjà vu All over Again?” will be held Wednesday at 11:45 a.m. at the Carlucci Rosemont in Illinois.

See event details and register.

Find the latest episodes of “Talking Trade” here.

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