A bill aimed at making medical costs more transparent for patients has cleared a major hurdle in the Michigan Legislature.
17 District State Senator Jonathan Lindsey’s proposal, which passed the Michigan House of Representatives Tuesday with a unanimous vote, would require hospitals to publicly share the prices for treatments and procedures.
Under Senate Bill 95, hospitals would have to make cost information easy for people to understand. If a hospital fails to follow the rules, it could be prevented from collecting debts from patients.
Lindsey, R-Coldwater, said that patients have a right to know what they will be charged. He said transparency is a key step in improving health outcomes and easing the financial stress many Michigan families face when seeking medical care.
The bill underwent minor changes in the House. It’ll go back to the Senate for final approval.
