Hospitals in Michigan would be required to post their master list of fees for services, procedures and medical supplies under a bill pending in the state Senate.
The effort, introduced more than a year ago by state Sen. Joe Hune, is the latest in a growing movement—in Michigan and across the country—to make healthcare providers more transparent about pricing and quality data.
Hune, a Republican, said he is targeting the “chargemaster” documents to force some degree of open-market competition on an industry in which the price of a service isn't often known until after it's rendered.
The hospital industry is largely neutral or undecided on the idea, saying the concept makes sense, but many hospitals already voluntarily publish some medical cost data.