Trump issues executive order to bring transparency to health care prices

The Trump administration is working on regulations that will require health care providers and insurers to tell patients how much a service will cost before they get it.

President Trump, in an executive order issued Monday, directed the Department of Health and Human Services and other agencies to put out rules requiring hospitals disclose prices that reflect what patients and insurers “actually pay” for services, Azar told reporters.

The rules aim to bring more transparency to a health care system where patients usually don’t find out how much a procedure costs until they get the bill in the mail.

This will “go down as one of the most significant steps in the long history of American health care reform,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar.

The rules will also require health care providers and insurers to tell patients about the out-of-pocket costs they’ll face before they receive health care services.

Azar said the rules would drive down prices because it would empower patients to shop around for the best costs.