Price tags for patients remain central to health care transparency efforts

Former Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers says she is pressing for the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act to require upfront health care prices, and the article notes studies showing wide price variations for the same treatments.

Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the former U.S. representative for Washington's 5th District, writes that advancing bipartisan price-transparency legislation remains a priority after she left Congress. She says the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act would require upfront prices across the health system and give employers access to claims data. The piece draws on a recent personal emergency room visit to argue that families often face unexpected bills when prices are not known in advance. The article also cites studies and policy data to illustrate wide cost differences and rising premiums. Key points: - The author prioritized bipartisan price-transparency legislation while in Congress; that bill advanced but did not complete the legislative process. - The article describes a recent emergency room visit involving the author's husband and notes the author's family is covered by Tricare, which reduced their exposure to costs. - The Patients Deserve Price Tags Act is described as requiring upfront prices and providing employers with claims data to detect high prices or overbilling. - A study cited by the article, from 3 Axis Advisors, reports chemotherapy prices ranging roughly from $12,000 to $43,000 and immunotherapy prices from about $17,000 to $67,000 for similar care. - The article cites KFF figures on rising employer-sponsored family premiums (about $27,000 on average) and notes the piece says 40 economists estimate price transparency could save significant amounts; it also reports broad public support for transparency. Summary: The article frames price transparency as a continuing bipartisan policy effort led in this piece by a former member of Congress who is urging lawmakers to act. It presents current concerns about unpredictable patient costs and wide price variation, and notes the author is asking colleagues to pass the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act; the legislative outcome is undetermined at this time.