Oklahoma Senate Sends Hospital Price Transparency Reform to Governor

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Casey Murdock, R-Felt, has secured final passage of legislation to make hospital pricing more transparent, reinforcing executive actions taken by President Donald Trump to shine a light on health care costs and make medical care more affordable.

On Tuesday, the Oklahoma Senate passed Murdock’s Senate Bill 889, sending it to the governor’s desk. This radical price transparency bill requires hospitals to publish easy-to-understand prices for 300 common services. SB 889 codifies the health care price transparency regulations President Trump put in place during his first term and extended with a new executive order in February.

Murdock said that this legislation puts Oklahoma at the forefront nationally in requiring hospitals to openly disclose their prices.

“Oklahomans deserve to know the real price of their health care before they walk into a hospital,” Murdock said. “Requiring providers to publish clear and accurate pricing for common procedures gives patients the power to shop around for the best care at the best price. By putting this federal policy into state law, we’re ensuring that hospital price transparency is here to stay, no matter what happens in Washington. In Oklahoma, we proudly stand with President Trump in making quality health care more affordable and accessible for everyone.”

SB 889 requires hospitals to post on their websites a straightforward list of prices for services, including a simple description, billing code, discounted cash price, the maximum and minimum negotiated rates and prices reflecting health insurance coverage.

If SB 889 becomes law, the act will take effect on Nov. 1.

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For more information, contact: Sen. Casey Murdock at 405-521-5626 or email Casey.Murdock@oksenate.gov.