CMS finalized the Outpatient Prospective Payment System hospital price transparency rules on November 15, 2019. As of January 1, 2021, hospitals will have to publicly post (and update annually) two sets of data: first, a comprehensive list of standard charges for items services offered by the hospital, and second, a consumer-friendly list of 300 “shoppable” services, including 70 selected by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”).
The first transparency requirement states that each hospital operating within the United States must establish and make public a list of the hospital’s standard charges for items and services provided by the hospital, including diagnosis-related groups (DRGs). Standard charge is defined as “the regular rate established by the hospital for an item or service provided to a specific group of paying patients. This includes: (i) gross charge, (ii) payer-specific negotiated charge, (iii) de-identified minimum negotiated charge, (iv) de-identified maximum negotiated charge, and (v) discounted cash price.” Items and services is defined as “all items and services, including individual items and services and service packages, that could be provided by a hospital to a patient in connection with an inpatient admission or an outpatient department visit for which the hospital has established a standard charge.” Examples include supplies and procedures and room and board.
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