Price Transparency Makes America Healthy Again
Through recent executive orders and a rule proposed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Trump Administration is ensuring parents have complete transparency when it comes to the health of their children.
Federal lawmakers have also introduced policies that support the Trump Administration’s commitment to healthcare price transparency.
Source: Reuters
Hidden Healthcare Costs Hurt Families
From grocery shopping to summer camps, parents are constantly gathering, analyzing, and prioritizing information to make the best financial decisions to serve their family. When it comes to healthcare, however, parents are given very little or no pricing information, especially on the front end of receiving medical care.
For parents, the health and safety of their children is a top priority. But financial uncertainty has become a significant barrier for parents seeking proper care for their families. This problem is exacerbated by the medical industry’s lack of price transparency and significant variability in pricing, which intimidates many Americans from seeking the care they need. Estimates, instead of real prices, and unexpected medical expenses make it harder to plan for, recover from, and avoid financial strain.
Parents are expected to sign a blank check in order to receive health services, and unknown healthcare prices leave many parents in the unthinkable position of choosing between healthcare and other necessities. Data reveals 100 million Americans are in medical debt, and it is the leading cause of bankruptcy. Other reports reveal that some patients claim they put off necessary care because of the cost, often foregoing other aspects of their lives.
One Illinois mom, Jessica, shared her story about struggling with unforeseen medical costs after giving birth to twins. To pay for outstanding healthcare bills, Jessica canceled medical appointments for herself and her twins for fear of additional costs she could not plan for or afford. Unfortunately, Jessica is not alone as many Americans report delaying necessary care due to costs. A recent Axios report shows that an average labor and delivery bill can cost parents more than $15,000, a cost they likely don’t know beforehand, making it impossible for parents to plan and account for additional financial costs.
Prioritizing Healthcare Price Transparency for Families:
In his first 100 days, President Trump reemphasized his commitment to price transparency by enacting the Executive Order Making America Healthy Again by Empowering Patients with Clear, Accurate, and Actionable Healthcare Pricing Information, which requires healthcare providers, insurers, and hospitals to disclose prices, and standardized data across hospitals and health plans for easy comparison.
Additionally, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a proposed rule focusing on much-needed reforms for parents and patients. This rule includes modernizing payments, expanding access to care, and enhancing healthcare accountability. It would require hospitals to post real prices, not estimates. This would allow families to make decisions based not on an unreliable estimate, but on a price guarantee, opening the door to financial confidence and stability for families.
Federal lawmakers have also introduced policies that support the Trump Administration’s commitment to healthcare price transparency. Senators Roger Marshall (R-KS) and John Hickenlooper (D-CO) recently introduced the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act which will require healthcare providers to prioritize price transparency, ensuring that parents are aware of costs up front and able to make the best decisions for their family’s medical and financial needs.
Healthcare price transparency is critical to ensure families get the care they need at a price they can afford.
TIPS FOR PARENTS
OTHER NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW
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FLORIDA AG THREATENS LAWSUIT AGAINST U.S. MASTERS SWIMMING OVER TRANS ATHLETE POLICY: Florida AG James Uthmeier demands the U.S. Masters Swimming ban biological males from women’s competitions and locker rooms, citing violations of state laws like the 2021 Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, despite the organization’s July 1 policy limiting trans women’s recognition in women’s events. Uthmeier, backed by advocates like Kim Jones, argues the policy’s loopholes still allow unfair competition, following a trans woman’s five gold medal wins in San Antonio. Failure to comply will lead to legal action to protect women and girls, he vows. Read more here.
TEXAS AG SUES SWIMMING ORGANIZATION OVER TRANS ATHLETE IN WOMEN’S EVENTS: Texas AG Ken Paxton is suing U.S. Masters Swimming for allowing a biological male trans athlete to compete in women’s events, winning five gold medals in San Antonio, leaving female swimmers like Wendy Enderle and Angie Griffin feeling betrayed. The lawsuit claims USMS engaged in deceptive practices by permitting men in women’s competitions, violating fairness and the Texas’ Save Women’s Sports Act. Female competitors, unaware of the athlete’s biological sex, demand transparency and policies ensuring women’s sports in exclusive to biological females. Read more here.
NEW HAMPSHIRE GOV. VETOES BILLS PROTECTING GIRLS’ SPACES, PARENTAL RIGHTS: Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte vetoed House Bill 148, which aimed to protect women’s restrooms, locker rooms, and sports from biological males. Ayotte claimed the bill was overly broad and likely to spark litigation. She also rejected House Bill 324, which would have empowered parents to challenge sexually explicit school materials harmful to minors, claiming existing laws suffice. Both bills, passed by the Republican-led legislature, sought to safeguard girls’ privacy and parental authority but were dismissed as impractical by Ayotte. Read more here.
Thanks for reading the latest edition of the American Parents Coalition’s The Lookout. If you have a troubling story to share about a school, doctor, company, or other institution working to usurp parents’ rights, please let us know by emailing us at outreach@americanparentscoalition.org.
