Are Oklahoma hospitals compliant with price transparency on websites?
For years it's been a law. Hospitals are supposed to show all pricing online through a "machine-readable file" and "in a consumer friendly format".
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — For years it's been a law. Hospitals are supposed to show all pricing online through a "machine-readable file" and "in a consumer friendly format". Which means the prices are supposed to be easy for you to find and read, however a new report shows some Oklahoma hospitals aren't following that.
"It shifts power to the patients to be able to choose to lower their costs by finding the care they need at prices upfront that they know they can afford," said Cynthia Fisher, the founder and chairman of patientrightsadvoacte.org.
Recently, patientrightsadvocate.org released a new report highlighting which Oklahoma hospitals are "fully compliant". Unfortunately, the advocacy group says only 17% are following the rules.
The report shows Integris, Mercy, and OU Health are missing the mark.
"No one in all of Oklahoma should ever pay a medical bill without demanding to get the price list by their plan and by every other plan to compare to see what price they could have paid," said Fisher.
News 4 contacted Integris, Mercy and OU Health. Each hospital told us they're compliant with the law.
Mercy sent us a statement that said:
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) determines hospitals’ compliance with these regulations, not political groups. We stand by our transparency efforts, which are supported by the fact we have twice acted quickly to correct requests raised by CMS. CMS has already reviewed our website in 2024 and asked for a minor modification, which we gladly updated.
Patients are always welcome to call 855-360-7060, the phone number listed on Mercy’s price transparency website, for help with a personalized cost estimation.
Mercy
Integris pointed to their website as well. Their statement said:
INTEGRIS Health is committed to being transparent about pricing. Under the Affordable Care Act and guidelines established by the Department of Health and Human Services, hospitals must publicly post a machine-readable formatted list of standard charges and provide a tool for shoppable services. Both items are provided on the INTEGRIS Health website. In addition to the pricing tools, INTEGRIS Health offers a Consumer Priceline where patients can request a quote of services for procedures offered at any of our facilities. A request can be made by calling financial counselors at 405-713-4500, toll free at 877-313-4500, or by email at consumerpriceline@integrishealth.org
Integris Health
OU Health also sent a statement regarding prices on their website.
OU Health is committed to complying with federal and state laws and regulations and providing our patients with information to assist them in making their health care decisions. Our review indicates we are compliant with state and federal regulations. If a patient has questions about pricing or their bill, financial counselors are available in addition to our online resources.
Additionally, we have an incredibly helpful price estimate tool on the website via Epic MyChart.
OU Health
So, why were these hospitals included in the list of rule breakers in the report?
The advocacy group said, the hospitals platforms aren't perfect.
"Like if a Blue Cross HMO plan or PPO plan is missing in those files, anybody who has that coverage can't find their prices," said Fisher.
Additionally if the files aren't easily found on a hospital's website, that facility can be seen as not fully compliant on the report from patientrightsadvocacy.org.
Lawmakers in Oklahoma are working on a bill and, if it passes, it would do even more to help patients clearly understand the cost of medical procedures before they receive that dreaded bill in the mail.