10.05.2026 / Statement

Final rule helps clean up key data on health prices, but leaves loopholes in place. Lasting, enforceable transparency requires legislation like the bipartisan Patients Deserve Price Tags Act and the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act of 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Anthony Wright, executive director of Families USA, today released the following statement after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released the final Transparency in Coverage (TIC) rule. Families USA previously submitted comments on the rule, urging them to finalize key provisions that were ultimately included and will take small but positive steps forward in improving price transparency.

"Cleaner, more useable pricing data from insurers will help employers, researchers and other purchasers see what health care actually costs. While we appreciate that the administration finalized several provisions we recommended to make health cost data clearer and cleaner, the new rule left some loopholes in place, but what we ultimately need is strong legislation to bring the type of price transparency that will truly help bring costs down for patients and their families.

"Accurate, accessible and clear health care prices, in dollars and cents, are central to the provision of affordable, cost-effective health care. At every turn, big health care corporations have worked to undermine that transparency by taking advantage of loopholes that allow them to post vague - or even made-up - estimated prices or meaningless percentages and feign compliance. The final TIC rule still fails to close many of these loopholes and demand real, meaningful price transparency.

"Congress must pass legislation to strengthen and codify federal price transparency rules such as the bipartisan Patients Deserve Price Tags Act or other key health care cost containment bills like the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act of 2026 this year. Congress should pass legislation to create a federal standard in law that stops hospitals and insurers from skirting price transparency rules by posting estimates, algorithms and irrelevant figures that obscure actual pricing. We need laws that require hospitals and health insurers to post the actual price of health care - the negotiated rate - in dollars and cents. More than 90% of voters across the political spectrum want health care providers to be upfront about the costs. It's time for Washington to deliver.