A report released Thursday by Hospital Watch says 19 hospitals in the Indianapolis area are among more than 500 hospitals nationwide that have received warnings from the federal government for allegedly failing to comply with federal hospital price transparency requirements.
According to the report, federal price transparency rules require hospitals to make pricing information publicly available so patients can better understand the potential cost of medical services before receiving care.
The Indianapolis-area hospitals identified in the report include:
- Ascension Saint Vincent Women’s Hospital
- Ascension Saint Vincent Heart Center
- Ascension Saint Vincent Randolph Hospital
- Ascension Saint Vincent Kokomo
- Bloomington Meadows Hospital
- Community Fairbanks Recovery Center
- Community Hospital East
- Community Hospital North
- Community Hospital of Anderson and Madison County
- Community Howard Regional Health
- Danville Hospital (Main Campus)
- Marion General Hospital
- OrthoIndy Hospital
- Saint Vincent Carmel Hospital
- Saint Vincent Fishers Hospital
- Saint Vincent Hospital
- Saint Vincent Mercy Hospital
- Saint Vincent Anderson Regional Hospital
- Valle Vista Health System
Hospital Watch spokesperson Adam Buckalew said the organization believes hospitals should provide patients with clear pricing information before care is received.
“Patients should not have to guess what a hospital visit is going to cost,” Buckalew said. “If hospitals are serious about affordability, they should start by following the basic transparency rules already on the books.”
The report also states that hospital prices for privately insured patients are often significantly higher than Medicare reimbursement rates and argues that greater transparency would help patients compare costs before receiving treatment.
Hospital Watch highlighted the experience of Carmel resident Aleece Raw, who the organization said received a bill of nearly $5,300 following a routine colonoscopy. According to the report, Raw said she was surprised by the amount of the bill.
Buckalew also expressed concerns about hospital consolidation, saying larger health systems can reduce competition and limit patients’ ability to compare prices.
“We need real enforcement of hospital price transparency and stronger scrutiny of hospital consolidation,” Buckalew said. “Patients and employers deserve to know what they are being charged, why prices are so high, and whether hospitals are giving them a fair deal.”
Hospital Watch describes itself as a watchdog organization focused on healthcare affordability and hospital pricing practices. The organization is a project of Better Solutions for Healthcare.
The hospitals named in the report had not issued public responses to the report at the time of publication.