Senators Marshall & Hickenlooper Introduce Legislation Requiring Price Transparency in Healthcare
Washington – On Thursday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), led the introduction of the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act along with Senator John Hickenlooper (D-Colorado). This legislation will improve the transparency of healthcare costs so patients understand the true price of procedures, medications, and services before receiving them.
Specifically, the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act will require public reporting of negotiated rates, costs, and cash prices for services provided at hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, imaging centers, and clinical labs. The bill also ensures group health plans have access to claims data and prevents third-party administrators from restricting data access. Providers or facilities will also be required to include a detailed itemized bill of each distinct item or service, or an all-in total price for bundled items if offered to the patient as an option.
“Customers don’t walk into a restaurant only to find out how much the food costs when they get the bill. Patients should know the price of the service they need before they make any decisions,” said Senator Marshall. “Making America Healthy Again requires empowering Americans with the best information possible to inform their life and healthcare choices: the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act will ensure prices are available to patients to support a more competitive, innovative, affordable, and high-quality healthcare system.”
“You wouldn’t book a flight if you couldn’t find out the ticket price until you land — or check into a hotel without knowing if you’re paying for the Ritz or a dump. But that’s the absurd guessing game Americans play every time they need medical care,” said Senator Hickenlooper. “We deserve to know exactly what we are paying for whether it’s a lab test, a colonoscopy, or an MRI. Our bill gives Americans that peace of mind.”
“We applaud Senators Roger Marshall and John Hickenlooper for their strong, bipartisan leadership on the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act. With actual, upfront, and accountable prices, patients will be able to shop for the best care with protection from rampant overcharges hiding in the shadows. We urge all senators to support this bill and pass it without delay to protect America’s patients,” said Cynthia Fisher, Founder and Chairman of Patients Rights Advocate.
“We applaud Senators Marshall and Hickenlooper for their ongoing commitment to enhancing health care price transparency requirements that will ensure employers have access to information necessary when making decisions on benefit design for the millions of Americans who receive coverage through their employer,” said ERIC President and CEO James Gelfand. “Moreover, strong transparency requirements of providers, including hospitals, and plans will empower workers and their families to select high quality, affordable health care, drugs, and services, helping ease the ever-growing pressures health care costs have on employers and workers alike.”
“Patients Deserve Price Tags Act is a critical step toward delivering high-quality care at lower costs for patients. Price transparency starts with clear, accessible information and this bill will empower patients to compare prices before they seek care. Real transparency and accountability are essential in helping unions make informed negotiations on behalf of workers and will ultimately help drive down costs. The Patients Deserve Price Tags Act moves us closer to that goal,” said Kevin Lyons, Member Benefits Director for the New Jersey State Policemen’s Benevolent Association.
“At a time when health care costs are ballooning out of control and Americans continue to make clear that affordability is a top priority, we applaud Senators Marshall and Hickenlooper for introducing the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act. This robust, pro-consumer, bipartisan legislation will ensure that every family in America knows exactly how much a big hospital will charge them before they receive medical care and services,” said Sophia Tripoli, senior director for health policy at Families USA. “As long as big hospital corporations and health care systems are able to keep their prices hidden, they will continue to jack up prices year over year with no transparency or accountability from the public or lawmakers. The Patients Deserve Price Tags Act would bring much needed transparency to hospital pricing and help us hold the health care sector accountable for the unfair price gouging practices that are hurting patients and families.”
Click here to read the full bill text.
Background:
- During the first Trump Administration, in June 2019, President Trump issued an executive order titled Improving Price and Quality Transparency in American Healthcare to Put Patients First. Senator Marshall was a big supporter and partner of this work in 2019.
- In February 2025, President Trump signed a similar executive order requiring price transparency in healthcare. This legislation echoes the actions of the Trump Administration.
###
Contact: Payton Fuller
