Recently, the US government warned several hospitals for failing to provide patients with complete information about medical service prices.

This move comes as healthcare costs in the US are becoming increasingly expensive and a burden for many households. Many Americans are adjusting their spending habits amidst high prices for food, housing, utilities, and other necessities. Notably, rising healthcare costs are directly impacting the accessibility of healthcare for many families.

CNN cited a survey of nearly 20,000 adults, in which about one-third of respondents said they had to cut back on at least one daily expense to pay medical bills. Even many Americans with average, or even above-average, incomes have had to cut back on living expenses, limit driving, or borrow money to pay for medical costs.

Axios offers a different perspective. In the study cited by the newspaper, the prices of some drugs for common diseases vary greatly depending on the hospital. For example, a single dose of the cancer drug Keytruda can range from $12,000 to $43,000.

Through an analysis of over 1,300 hospital records for the same medical service, it was found that some insurance companies paid only $1, while others paid nearly $2,350.

The inadequacies in healthcare pricing have led the US government to take action to increase oversight and tighten the disclosure of pricing data at hospitals.

According to the Associated Press, US authorities have warned more than 500 hospitals for failing to provide basic pricing information to the public. Authorities argue that this lack of transparency is driving up healthcare costs. Failure to comply could result in fines of up to $2 million per year.

However, some argue that implementing this regulation will not be easy. An article on the National Public Radio website states that a similar regulation has been in effect since 2021. However, to date, data on healthcare service prices remains limited and often confusing.

Furthermore, not all hospitals complied with the regulations on price transparency, or implemented them late. In the first 10 months after the policy was implemented, only about one-third of medical facilities complied.

Previously, the maximum fine for healthcare facilities that failed to publicly disclose the prices of medical services was $300 per day, equivalent to nearly $110,000 per year. However, the fine has now been increased to $2 million per year to ensure more effective enforcement.

Source: Vietnam.vn