White House pushing to include health price transparency in coronavirus package

The White House is pushing to include regulations requiring hospitals and insurers to disclose health care prices in a massive coronavirus stimulus package. 

The Trump administration is trying to codify regulations it issued in November that would require hospitals to post their prices online, while mandating insurers allow patients to compare costs and different providers.

The administration views those regulations as key steps to increase health care price transparency and help consumers shop and drive prices down. 

“Price transparency is so important for the people of our Country,” Trump tweeted on Tuesday. “In many ways, it will prove to be as important as healthcare itself. A great issue for both Republicans and Democrats. Hopefully it will be approved!”

Price transparency is so important for the people of our Country. In many ways, it will prove to be as important as healthcare itself. A great issue for both Republicans and Democrats. Hopefully it will be approved!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 24, 2020

A White House official confirmed Trump was referring to the push to codify the regulations in the coronavirus bill. 

But a source familiar with the negotiations said the price transparency provisions are not expected to make it into the coronavirus package. 

The White House and Senate leadership in both parties have been negotiating the massive recovery package for days. 

Hospitals and insurers are both opposed to the Trump administration’s regulations, and codifying them in law would have helped ensure they actually go into effect. 

Hospitals, for example, sued to stop some of the regulations in December.