Bill > HB309

This bill establishes comprehensive hospital price transparency requirements for healthcare facilities in Kentucky, mandating that hospitals create and publicly display detailed digital price lists for their services. Specifically, hospitals must maintain two types of publicly accessible chargemasters: a machine-readable digital file containing standard charges for all facility items and services, and a consumer-friendly list of charges for at least 300 "shoppable services" (planned medical procedures). These chargemasters must include various pricing details like gross charges, negotiated rates with different insurance payors, discounted cash prices, and minimum and maximum negotiated charges. The Cabinet for Health and Family Services will monitor compliance, with the authority to issue warnings, request corrective action plans, and impose administrative penalties for non-compliance. Penalties range from $600 to $11,000 per day depending on the hospital's size, and hospitals found to be non-compliant may be prohibited from pursuing debt collection against patients for services provided during periods of non-compliance. The bill aims to increase healthcare pricing transparency, helping patients understand and potentially compare medical service costs before receiving treatment.