Bill > SB2277

This bill requires all hospitals in the state to comply with federal hospital price transparency requirements, which mandate making standard charges for all services publicly available in both a machine-readable file and a consumer-friendly format, or through an online price estimator tool. The Department of Health will be responsible for monitoring and enforcing these requirements, and will publish a list of any hospitals found to be non-compliant. Furthermore, hospitals are prohibited from initiating debt collection actions against patients if they were not in compliance with price transparency rules at the time of service, and patients can use non-compliance as a defense in such actions, potentially leading to refunds and the removal of negative credit reporting. Before any debt collection action is taken, hospitals must provide patients with an easy-to-understand itemized bill, along with other relevant information.

Health and Social Services, Justice

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=2277&year=2026