PatientRightsAdvocate.org (PRA) applauded the bipartisan passage of House Bill 49 by the Ohio Senate (27-6) nearly one year after a similar version of the legislation was passed by the Ohio House by a bipartisan 90-5 vote last June. Prior to the full Senate vote, H.B. 49 was unanimously approved this morning by the Senate Small Business & Economic Opportunity Committee. The bill requires Ohio hospitals to post the prices of available services online for upfront public viewing. It also includes provisions to financially protect patients impacted by non-compliant hospitals

Today, Cynthia Fisher, founder and chairman of PatientRightsAdvocate.org, released the following statement congratulating Oklahoma’s elected leaders for enacting HB 4148, which was passed by both chambers of the Oklahoma Legislature earlier this year to help protect patients from financial ruin. HB 4148 will prevent hospitals from sending patients' bills to collection if they do not comply with the state’s federal price transparency rule.

On May 13, PatientRightsAdvocate.org founder and chairman Cynthia Fisher gave a keynote address at the Indiana Employers Forum for the National Healthcare Price Transparency Conference. Cynthia discussed the importance of healthcare price transparency for employers, employees, unions, and all consumers of healthcare.

PatientRightsAdvocate.org filed an amicus brief in the case of Secretary Julie A. Su, Acting Secretary of Labor v. Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) of Minnesota, arguing that their motion to dismiss the case should be denied on the basis that BCBS was an ERISA fiduciary and that ERISA’s fiduciary protections are needed to police third-party administrator contracts that hide healthcare prices from beneficiaries and obstruct beneficiaries from finding high-quality, cost-efficient care.

PRA's sixth Semi-Annual Hospital Price Transparency Compliance Report revealed that only 34.5% of the 2,000 hospitals reviewed were in full compliance with the federal rule, virtually unchanged from the 36% compliance found in PRA’s last report released in July 2023. Despite stagnant compliance, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued penalty notices to only 14 hospitals.

Cynthia Fisher, founder and Chairman of PatientRightsAdvocate.org, joined Meghna Chakrabarti, host of NPR’s On Point, to discuss the growing momentum of healthcare price transparency in Congress and why employers and unions have joined the fight in this critical moment.

Today, PatientRightsAdvocate.org Founder and Chairman Cynthia Fisher released the following statement in support of S.3548, a bill to codify hospital and insurer price transparency, led by Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) and HELP Committee member Senator Mike Braun (R-Ind.)

New Polling Reveals 94% of Americans Support Healthcare Price Transparency. Today, PatientRightsAdvocate.org (PRA) released new polling conducted by Marist revealing that healthcare price transparency remains one of the most popular and unifying issues being considered by Congress.

Today, PatientRightsAdvocate.org Founder and Chairman Cynthia Fisher released the following statement on the overwhelming bipartisan House passage of HR 5378, also known as the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act.

Today, PatientRightsAdvocate.org (PRA) announced the launch of the brand new Hospital Price File Finder, a first-of-its-kind search tool of the available price transparency files for 6,000 hospitals nationwide.

Today, Cynthia Fisher, founder and chairman of PatientRightsAdvocate.org, sent a letter to Congress expressing support for the passage of the Lower Costs More Transparency Act.

Cynthia Fisher, founder and chairman of PatientRightsAdvocate.org, joined Washington Post's Frances Stead Sellers to discuss transparent pricing in healthcare, the status of push for legislation in Congress, and how transparency leads to better quality care at much lower costs.

Cynthia Fisher, Founder and Chairman of PatientRightsAdvocate.org, participated in the summit hosted by STAT News to discuss the fight for systemwide healthcare price transparency.

Today, PatientRightsAdvocate.org (PRA) published a report co-authored by Founder and Chairman Cynthia Fisher and economist Dr. Arthur Laffer that concludes healthcare price transparency can reduce national healthcare spending by more than $1 trillion annually and extend American life expectancy.

Today, PatientRightsAdvocate.org Founder and Chairman Cynthia Fisher released the following statement on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announcing enforcement of the transparency in coverage (TiC) rule covering the disclosure of the cost of prescription drugs.

PatientRightsAdvocate.org submitted comments on the proposed rule for the Medicare Program Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System for 2024. We recommend additional, important changes to ensure that patients, employers, unions, and all consumers have the information they need to make critical decisions about health care services and coverage.

Today, PatientRightsAdvocate.org (PRA) announced the creation of The Price Transparency Champion Award and unveiled its first-ever recipients. The new award recognizes U.S. hospitals and hospital systems for their commitment to fully complying with federal price transparency requirements. By publishing their actual, upfront prices in an exemplary manner, these award-winning hospitals protect patients from overcharges and empower them to choose the best care at the best prices. The award also recognizes elected leaders for their efforts to support systemwide healthcare price transparency to lower costs and protect their constituents.

PRA’s fifth Semi-Annual Hospital Price Transparency Compliance Report found that only 36% of the 2,000 hospitals reviewed were fully complying with the Hospital Price Transparency Rule.