Hospital Transparency Law now in effect in VA

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) – If you have to go to the hospital or have a procedure done, you’re probably thinking about how much it will cost.

Thanks to a new law, you won’t have to guess.

The Hospital Price Transparency Law forces hospitals to put all their prices online. Cynthia Fisher, founder and chair of PatientRightsAdvocate.com, said this is a game changer for people needing care.

“This bill is a huge win for Virginia, Fisher said. “Price transparency is transformative.”

The next time you need a procedure done, research a few different hospital websites to find a price that best fits your budget.

As of July 1, all hospitals in Virginia must show the cost of all of their services, thanks to the hospital price transparency bill.

“This shifts the power to the patients,” Fisher said. “When we can see prices, for the first time, we can protect ourselves from the egregious price-gouged overcharges.”

Not only have millions of patients been overcharged in the past, but they have also been required to pay a certain way.

If you pay with cash for your visit, you’ll pay 40% less than if you pay with a card.

The new transparency law could change lives for people who may have financial anxiety preventing them from seeking treatment, Fisher said.

“So many people in Virginia have been harmed and financially ruined by our healthcare systems, both hospitals and insurance companies who have taken them to court and put them in absolute financial ruin,” she added.

Hospital Price Transparency has been a federal law for two years, but according to the latest compliance report from the Patients’ Rights Advocate group, only 28% of Virginia hospitals are complying.

Fisher says patients should take action if hospitals aren’t transparent about prices.

“Write the CEO or Chief Financial Officer and demand them or go elsewhere,” Fisher said.

Hospitals could be subject to monetary penalties if they don’t comply, According to the Center for Medicaid and Medicare website.

The hospitals in Virginia that ARE fully complying:

• Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital
• Centra Lynchburg General Hospital
• Fauquier Hospital
• Johnston Memorial Hospital
• Lonesome Pine Hospital
• Riverside Regional Medical Center
• Smyth County Community Hospital
• Sovah Health – Danville
• Sovah Health – Martinsville
• UVA University Hospital
• VCU Medical Center
• VHC Health
• Winchester Medical Center

The hospitals in Virginia that ARE NOT fully complying:

• Bon Secours – Southampton Memorial Center
• Bon Secours – Southern Virginia Medical Center Bon Secours – Southside Medical Center
• Bon Secours Health Center at Harbour View Campus Bon Secours Mary Immaculate Hospital
• Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center
• Chesapeake Regional Medical Center
• Chippenham Hospital
• Clinch Valley Medical Center
• Henrico Doctors’ Hospital
• Inova Alexandria Hospital
• Inova Fairfax Hospital
• Inova Loudoun Hospital
• Inova Mount Vernon Hospital
• Johnston-Willis Hospital
• LewisGale Hospital – Pulaski
• LewisGale Hospital Alleghany
• LewisGale Hospital Montgomery
• LewisGale Medical Center
• Mary Washington Hospital
• Memorial Regional Medical Center
• Parham Doctors’ Hospital
• Rappahannock General Hospital
• Reston Hospital Center
• Retreat Doctors Hospital
• Richmond Community Hospital
• Saint Francis Medical Center
• Saint Mary’s Hospital
• Sentara Norfolk General Hospital
• Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center
• StoneSprings Hospital Center
• TriCities Hospital
• Twin County Regional Hospital
• Wythe County Community Hospital

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