If hospitals are required to publish their prices and they have patients sign agreements wherein the patient agrees to pay “in accordance with the regular rates and terms of the hospital” which are public for the world to see, what defense does the patient, who assigned benefits, have in disputing full billed charges when the average reimbursement accepted through the hospital’s payer mix is substantially less?
Do the same arguments of old still apply or does it matter?
Recent legislation requiring hospitals to post their prices may have a Silver Lining benefiting hospitals that most have missed?
Hospitals can now say “You should have known our prices since they are public, and you entered into an agreement to pay them.”
