Skip to Main Navigation Skip to Main Content Skip to Footer
search play2 play3 facebook twitter linkedin2 cross instagram
ASCP
  • DASHBOARD
  • STORE
  • LOGOUT
  • STORE
  • LOGIN
Menu
  • Membership
    • Membership Overview
      • Become a Member
      • Member Testimonials
    • Member Resources
      • My Dashboard
      • Manage My Education
      • Renew My Membership
      • Member Center
      • Find a Mentorship
      • Councils & Committees
      • Volunteer Opportunities
      • Awards & Recognition
      • Member Rewards
      • Lab Week
      • ASCP News
      • ASCP Local Chapters
    • My Role
      • Pathologist
      • Laboratory Professional
      • Pathology Resident
      • Residency Program Director
      • Lab Sciences Program Director
      • Laboratory Science Student
      • Medical Student
    • Career Resources
      • Find a Job
      • Post a Job
      • Find a Pathology Fellowship
      • Post a Fellowship
      • Learn About Careers
      • Scholarships & Grants
  • Learning
    • Learning Overview
    • Certificate Programs
      • Lab Management University
      • University of Path Informatics
      • Leadership Institute
    • Live Events
      • ASCP Annual Meeting
      • Virtual Pathology Grand Rounds
      • KnowledgeLab
      • Immersion Courses
    • Resources
      • Access My Education
      • Manage CMP
      • Manage CC
    • ASCPedia
    • Online Education
      • Online CE Packages
      • LabQ
      • Case Reports
      • Resident Question Bank (RQB)
      • MLS Online Review Course
      • Webcasts
      • Patient Safety
      • Featured Education
    • Quality Improvement & Quality Assurance
      • Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI)
      • National Pathology Quality Registry (NPQR)
      • CheckPath
      • GYN Assessment
      • Non-GYN Assessment
      • GYN Proficiency Testing
    • Books & Journals
      • Books
      • American Journal of Clinical Pathology (AJCP)
      • Lab Medicine
      • Critical Values
    • ACCME ACCREDITATION
  • Advocacy & Outreach
    • Institute For Science Technology, and Public Policy
      • ASCP Policy Efforts
      • Choosing Wisely
      • Guidelines & Resources
      • Workforce Initiatives
      • ePolicy News
    • Center For Global Health
      • Overview
      • Communicable Diseases (HIV)
      • Non-Communicable Diseases (Cancer)
      • Volunteer with CGH
    • ASCP Foundation
      • Make a Donation
      • Providing Scholarships, Grants, & Fellowships
      • Improving Global Health
      • Increasing Lab Visibility
      • ASCP General Fund
      • Ways to Donate
    • Get Involved
      • Discover Opportunities to Get Involved
      • Foster Diversity & Inclusion
      • ASCP Councils & Committees
      • Career Ambassadors
      • Pathology Ambassadors
      • Discover Mentorships
      • Apply to Volunteer
    • Laboratory Excellence
      • Leading Laboratories
      • National Pathology Quality Registry (NPQR)
      • Awards & Recognition
      • Lab Week
    • Patient Champions
  • About ASCP
    • About ASCP
      • ASCP Mission
      • Supporting Our Members
      • ASCP Foundation
      • Community Efforts
      • Work at ASCP
    • Contact Us
  • Board of Certification
    • BOC home
    • About The BOC
      • About the BOC
        • BOC Structure
          • BOC Mission
          • BOC Partners
          • Contact BOC
          • Appeals
        • News and Reports
          • Transition of MT/MLS and MP/MB
          • Newsletters
          • BOC Awards
          • Lab Hero Interviews
          • Statistics / Practice Analyses
      • What We Do
        • Our Services
          • Certs & Quals
          • CMP
          • Verify Credentials
      • Governance
        • Committees
          • Exam Committee
          • Board of Governors
        • International Governance
          • Advisory Boards
          • Collaborating Societies
      • Volunteer
        • Volunteer Opportunities
          • Exam Committees
          • International Volunteer Opportunities
          • ASCP
    • Get Credentialed
      • Certification Exam Process
        • Get Ready to Apply
          • General Information
          • Determine Category & Route
          • Compare US & International Certification
        • Gather Documentation
          • US Certification
          • International Certication
          • US Military
        • Before Exam
          • Schedule a Date
          • Study Materials
        • Exam Day
          • The Test Center
          • The Examination
        • After Exam
          • Pass The Exam
          • Fail The Exam
      • U.S. Certifications
        • Highest Volume
          • HT
          • MLS
          • MLT
          • PBT
        • Technician
          • HT
          • MLA
          • MLT
          • PBT
          • DPT
        • Technologist/Scientists
          • BB
          • C
          • CG
          • CT
          • H
          • HTL
          • M
          • MB
          • MLS
        • Specialist
          • SBB
          • SC
          • SCT
          • SCYM
          • SH
          • SM
          • SMB
        • Additional
          • DLM
          • PA
      • International Certifications
        • Highest Volume
          • MB
          • MLS
          • MLT
          • PBT
        • Technician
          • HT
          • MLT
          • PBT
        • Technologist/Scientists
          • BB
          • MB
          • MLS
          • C
          • CG
          • CLM
          • CT
          • CTGYN
          • H
          • HLT
          • M
        • Specialist
          • SBB
          • SC
          • SCT
          • SCYM
          • SH
          • SM
          • SMB
      • Qualifications
        • Get Ready to Apply
          • General Information
          • Determine Category and Exam Route
          • Gather Document
        • Examination
          • Take the Exam
          • Pass the Exam
          • Fail the Exam
        • Qualifications
          • QBRS
          • QDP
          • QIA
          • QIHC
          • QLS
      • State Licensure
        • California State Licensure
          • California State Licensure Only
          • ASCP Certification & CA Licensure
          • Already ASCP Certified
        • New York State Licensure
          • New York State Licensure Only
          • ASCP Certification & NY Licensure
          • Already ASCP Certified
        • Additional Licensure States
          • Florida
          • Hawaii
          • Louisiana
          • Montana
          • Nevada
          • North Dakota
          • Tennesee
          • West Virginia
          • Puerto Rico
    • Stay Credentialed
      • Information About CMP
        • CMP Overview
          • CMP Process
          • Synchronize Multiple Credentials
        • Credential Status
          • Mandatory
          • Voluntary
          • Expired
          • Inactive
        • How to Manage Points
          • How to Earn Points
          • How to Record Points
          • Suggested CE Providers
          • When to Submit a Declaration
          • COVID Related CE Form
      • U.S. Certifications
        • Highest Volume
          • HT
          • MLS
          • MLT
          • PBT
        • Technician
          • HT
          • MLA
          • MLT
          • PBT
          • AT
          • DPT
        • Technologist/Scientists
          • BB
          • C
          • CG
          • CT
          • H
          • HTL
          • M
          • MB
          • MLS
        • Specialist
          • SBB
          • SC
          • SCT
          • SCYM
          • SH
          • SM
          • SMB
          • HP
          • SLS
          • SV
        • Additional
          • DLM
          • PA
      • International Certifications
        • Highest Volume
          • MB
          • MLS
          • MLT
          • PBT
        • Technician
          • HT
          • MLT
          • PBT
        • Technologist/Scientists
          • BB
          • C
          • CG
          • CLM
          • CT
          • CTGYN
          • H
          • HTL
          • M
          • MB
          • MLS
        • Specialist
          • SBB
          • SC
          • SCT
          • SCYM
          • SH
          • SM
          • SMB
      • Qualifications
        • Qualifications
          • QBRS
          • QDP
          • QIA
          • QIHC
          • QLI
          • QLS
    • Verify Credentials
      • General Information
        • Topics
          • Citation of Credentials
          • Fraudulent Use of Credentials
          • Replacement Wall Certificates
      • How to Verify
        • Options for Verifying Credentials
          • Getting Started
          • For Certification/Qualification
          • For State Licensure
          • For Visa Screen
          • Place an Order
    • Program Directors
      • Program Director Resources
        • Resources
          • BOC Resources
          • Accreditation Agencies
      • Manage Your Students
        • Tools & Reports
          • Tools for Students
          • EEV
          • PPR
      • Certification Information
        • Exams Offered
          • Certification Exams
          • HT/HTL
          • Military Certifications
          • Phlebotomy Programs
  • News
  • News
  • News Archive
  • Groups
  • Jobs
  • ASCP
  • News Archive
  • News Detail

CMS Set to Crack Down on Hospitals that Drag Their Feet on Price Transparency

Publication Date: Jan 11, 2022

After fighting against them for so long, including in court, hospitals have been reluctant to comply with the new hospital price transparency rules that officially took effect on January 1, 2021. Of course, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) are perfectly aware of the foot dragging and have taken steps to put it to an end, most notably by providing for higher penalties for price transparency violations as part of the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (HOPPS) rules for 2022.

The Price Transparency Controversy

Requiring hospitals to disclose their prices in an accessible way enables consumers to make informed decisions about where to spend their health care dollars. At least that’s the theory. Hospitals see things very differently. They feel quite strongly that the rates they negotiate with private payors are proprietary information and that disclosing them will do little more than promote conflict between patients and hospitals.

The other big complaint about the price transparency rules is how burdensome they are to implement, particularly the online disclosure requirements. Based on a pure cost-benefit analysis, some hospitals have concluded that the potential costs of not following the rules, principally the risk of penalties of up to $300 per day, are more than outweighed by the costs of complying with them.

So, it’s not surprising that studies have shown that many hospitals aren’t in compliance. For example, of the 200 random hospitals analyzed for a June JAMA report, 83 were found to be noncompliant with at least one of the rules’ major requirements. Of the 100 highest revenue hospitals analyzed, 75 were out of compliance with at least one requirement.

No More Mr. Nice Guy

One year into the new system, CMS has decided to roll out the heavy artillery to enforce it. Effective Jan. 1, the minimum civil monetary penalty (CMP) for smaller hospitals (i.e., those with a bed count of 30 or fewer) will be $300 per day; hospitals with more than 30 beds will be subject to a penalty of $10 per bed per day, up to a maximum of $5,500 per day. Result: A full calendar year of noncompliance will now cost a hospital at least $109,500 and as much as $2,007,500.

The new, higher penalties are expected to reverse the cost/benefit analysis in favor of compliance. In addition, the administration’s doubling down on price transparency is likely to be accompanied by more aggressive enforcement in the coming year.

**************

This article originally appeared in G2 Intelligence, Lab Compliance Advisor, January 2022.

Footer
  • Membership
    • Membership Overview
    • Member Resources
    • My Role
    • Career Resources
  • Learning
    • Online Education
    • Certificate Programs
    • Quality Improvement & Quality Assurance
    • Live Events
    • Books & Journals
    • Resources
    • ASCPedia
    • ACCME Accreditation
  • Advocacy & Outreach
    • Institute for Science, Technology, and Public Policy
    • Center for Global Health
    • ASCP Foundation
    • Patient Champions
    • Get Involved
  • About ASCP
    • Contact Us
    • Chat with Us
  • Board Of Certification
    • Get Credentialed
    • Stay Credentialed
    • Verify Credentials
    • Program Directors
    • About the BOC
  • News
    • ePolicy News
Chicago (Headquarters)
33 West Monroe Street, Suite 1600, Chicago, IL 60603

Privacy Policy 

Terms of Use

Follow Us

Copyright ©2021  by American Society for Clinical Pathology. All Rights Reserved.

Live Chat

First Name*
Last Name*
Email*
Customer ID