The bill seeks to improve hospital price transparency in Washington State by imposing new requirements on hospitals to publish and report standard charges for items and services. By July 1, 2027, hospitals are mandated to comply with federal regulations by publishing relevant data and submitting machine-readable files of standard charges to the Department of Health annually. In cases where any charge increases by more than 20%, hospitals must notify the department within 30 days. The Department of Health will oversee compliance through audits and complaints, ensuring that all reports are publicly accessible.

Additionally, the bill introduces protections for patients against collection actions if a hospital violates the new transparency requirements at the time of service. Patients can pursue civil actions against noncompliant hospitals, which may result in refunds and penalties if found materially out of compliance. The legislation also establishes an electronic complaint submission system and a tool for comparing hospital charges. It amends RCW 70.41.250 to enhance transparency for service charges related to health care providers with hospital admitting privileges and encourages hospitals to provide daily charge information to prescribing physicians. The bill creates a new chapter in Title 70 RCW, set to take effect on January 1, 2027, to promote informed discussions about health care costs between providers and patients.

Statutes affected:
Original Bill: 70.01.030, 70.41.130, 70.41.250