New Bipartisan Bill Seeks to End Health Care’s “Absurd Guessing Game” by Requiring Upfront Pricing

A new bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. Senate aims to bring long-overdue transparency to healthcare pricing in America.

The Patients Deserve Price Tags Act, co-sponsored by Senators John Hickenlooper (D-CO) and Roger Marshall (R-KS), would require providers and hospitals to disclose the real costs of medical services, giving patients and employers the ability to compare prices and make more informed decisions.

“You wouldn’t book a flight if you couldn’t find out the ticket price until you land — or check into a hotel without knowing if you’re paying for the Ritz or a dump. But that’s the absurd guessing game Americans play every time they need medical care,” said Senator Hickenlooper, who serves on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. “We deserve to know exactly what we are paying for whether it’s a lab test, a colonoscopy, or an MRI. Our bill gives Americans that peace of mind.”

Senator Marshall echoed the need for common-sense reform. “Customers don’t walk into a restaurant only to find out how much the food costs when they get the bill. Patients should know the price of the service they need before they make any decisions,” he said. “Making America Healthy Again requires empowering Americans with the best information possible to inform their life and healthcare choices: the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act will ensure prices are available to patients to support a more competitive, innovative, affordable, and high-quality healthcare system.”

The legislation would require machine-readable files of all negotiated rates and cash prices between providers and health plans—not estimates—and obligate hospitals to post actual prices for 300 common “shoppable” services.

By 2026, the rule would extend to all medical services. Patients would also receive detailed Explanation of Benefits statements and itemized bills listing individual services or bundled pricing.

Advocates say the measure could be transformative.

“With actual, upfront, and accountable prices, patients will be able to shop for the best care with protection from rampant overcharges hiding in the shadows,” said Cynthia Fisher, Founder and Chairman of Patient Rights Advocate. “We urge all senators to support this bill and pass it without delay to protect America’s patients.”

Mark Newman, CEO and co-founder of healthcare platform Nomi Health, said the bill is equally important for employers, who often fund insurance plans without access to the underlying claims data.

“For too long, businesses large and small have been forced to navigate healthcare costs without access to the very data that reveals where the money goes, where the care gaps lie, and how to fix them,” he said. “This legislation is a critical step toward empowering employers to partner with third-party experts, bring transparency to opaque systems, and ultimately drive down costs while improving care.”

Newman added, “Data ownership isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. When employers have access to their own claims data, they can identify inefficiencies, close care gaps, and negotiate smarter. Nomi Health believes this bill marks a turning point for healthcare affordability and accountability in America.”

The bill now heads to committee, with lawmakers and stakeholders urging swift action to address a system that has long left patients and payers in the dark.