Bill > SB953

This bill establishes the State's Hospital Price Transparency Act, which requires hospitals to publicly post their Medicare reimbursement rates by October 1, 2025, and prohibits hospitals from taking debt collection actions against patients if they are not in compliance with federal hospital price transparency laws. The bill allows patients or patient guarantors to file lawsuits against hospitals that violate these transparency requirements, with potential penalties including refunding the patient's debt, dismissing court actions, removing credit report entries, and paying attorney fees. The Department of Health is mandated to conduct annual performance assessments of hospitals' adherence to federal transparency rules, create a publicly available list of poorly performing hospitals by February 1, 2026, and provide technical assistance to hospitals that do not meet transparency standards. Violations of the price transparency requirements are deemed unfair and deceptive business practices, with the law applying to critical access hospitals starting February 15, 2025. The bill defines key terms such as "collection action," "debt," and "hospital price transparency laws," and provides a framework for ensuring hospitals are more transparent about their pricing and billing practices.

Health and Social Services

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=953&year=2026