S. 2355 · On the floor · Health

Patients Deserve Price Tags Act

What it does

Requires hospitals to compile and publish standard charges monthly in machine-readable spreadsheet format, including plain-language descriptions, billing codes, gross charges, discounted cash prices, and payer-specific negotiated charges.
Mandates hospitals disclose de-identified maximum and minimum negotiated charges, the algorithms or formulas used to calculate payer-specific charges, and any contract terms needed to determine negotiated prices.
Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a uniform method and format for hospital price transparency by January 1, 2026, and to monitor hospital compliance annually.
Establishes civil monetary penalties for hospitals that fail to comply with price transparency requirements within 45 days of receiving a corrective action request from the Secretary.
Requires senior hospital officials (CEO, CFO, or equivalent) to attest to the accuracy and completeness of price disclosures, with such attestation deemed material to federal payment to the hospital.

Jul 27, 2026: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 522.

Committee: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions