On May 11, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, introduced the Diagnostic Lab Testing Transparency Act (H.R. 3248) as part of a package of 11 bills to increase transparency in health care. The bill would amend the Social Security Act to increase price transparency of clinical diagnostic laboratory tests under the Medicare program. Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., cosponsored the bill.
“This bipartisan bill … ensures that patients can meaningfully shop for lab tests by extending modest price transparency requirements to labs,” said Rep. Miller-Meeks in a May 17 House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee markup hearing. The bill would require diagnostic laboratories to disclose specific information for clinical laboratory tests included on the list of shoppable services specified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. This information includes: the discounted cash price of each test, the deidentified minimum rate for each test, and the deidentified maximum rate for each test.
In addition to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, the bill was also referred to the House Ways and Means Committee. Rep. Miller-Meeks is hopeful that this price transparency will increase competition for clinical laboratory services and therefore lower overall costs to patients.
Sources:
https://www.congress.gov/event/118th-congress/house-event/115994
https://energycommerce.house.gov/events/a-health-subcommittee-markup-of-17-bills
