Hospital Price Transparency Compliance More Spotty Than Clear

Compliance with a Trump administration rule requiring hospitals to disclose the rates they negotiate with health insurers is spotty, groups that work with employers report.

Even the hospitals that comply with the transparency rule are finding it too complicated to provide meaningful disclosures, which could result in misleading information for employers and consumers. For example, hospitals report their information using different data formats, which makes it hard to compare.

The rule took effect Jan. 1, and a similar rule that applies to health insurers begins phasing in next year.

Many health-care industry experts agree that it will be difficult, at ...