As discussed in a prior post, the Hospital Price Transparency Rule at 45 C.F.R. § 180.10 et. seq. (the “Rule”), requires all hospitals to provide clear, accessible pricing information about the items and services they provide by publicizing (1) the prices for 300 of their most “shoppable services” or services that can be scheduled by a consumer in advance; and (2) total charges, payor-specific negotiated rates, and discounted cash prices for individuals paying out-of-pocket.

Many hospitals claim that it is more costly to comply with the Rule than pay the penalties associated with noncompliance and numerous independent studies have showed limited compliance to date. In an effort to enforce the Rule, CMS has now proposed to amend the regulations to impose higher penalties for failure to comply.

Specifically, CMS proposed to determine penalties amounts based on the number of beds a hospital has, and as shown here:

Number of Beds Penalty Applied Per Day Total Penalty Amount for full Calendar Year of Noncompliance
30 or less $300 per hospital $109,500 per hospital
31 – 550

$310 – $5,500 per hospital

(number of beds times $10)

$113,150 – $2,007,500 per hospital
More than 550 $5,500 per hospital $2,007,500 per hospital

The proposed penalties will go through a 60-day comment period starting August 4, and if implemented, would go into effect on January 1, 2022.

Print:
Email this postTweet this postLike this postShare this post on LinkedIn
Photo of Edward S. Kornreich Edward S. Kornreich

Past long-standing chair of Proskauer’s Health Care Department, Ed Kornreich is a recognized authority on the legal, regulatory and business issues related to health care services.

Areas of Concentration

Ed works primarily on health care transactions, regulatory compliance, health care payment and governance…

Past long-standing chair of Proskauer’s Health Care Department, Ed Kornreich is a recognized authority on the legal, regulatory and business issues related to health care services.

Areas of Concentration

Ed works primarily on health care transactions, regulatory compliance, health care payment and governance issues for varied providers (both for-profit and not-for-profit), vendors, GPOs, distributors and entrepreneurs. His approach combines sensitivity to meeting regulatory business goals with a comprehensive and realistic assessment of the health care environment, and he is particularly experienced in dealing with the complex issues related to integrated health care systems.

Industry Experience

After working for the Legal Aid Society, Ed entered private practice, where he helped represent a major public hospital corporation in a series of reimbursement disputes with the state and federal governments, and counseled New York area hospitals and nursing homes on reimbursement and operational issues. Thereafter, Ed served as General Counsel of St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center, one of the largest teaching hospitals in New York. After leaving St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center, Ed joined Proskauer as a Partner in 1990.

Thought Leadership

Ed frequently writes and lectures on Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, health care integration, not-for-profit law and corporate governance issues, and the application of federal and state anti-kickback and “Stark” laws to health care transactions.