Prices on the Wall Act of 2026
- Bill Number
- H.R. 9390
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Health
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-06-25: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote.
- Last Updated
- 2026-07-02T20:53:52Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose This legislation aims to increase healthcare price transparency by requiring certain medical facilities to publicly display prices for specific services on their walls.
Key Provisions
- Adds a new subsection (f) to Section 2718 of the Public Health Service Act.
- Starting January 1, 2028, hospitals must post the discounted cash price (or median cash price to self-pay patients over the prior three years if unavailable) for each Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)-specified shoppable service in inpatient and outpatient settings.
- Ambulatory surgical centers must post the same type of prices for CMS-specified shoppable services.
- Laboratories must post discounted cash prices (or gross charges if unavailable) for specified clinical diagnostic laboratory tests that are CMS-specified shoppable services.
- Providers and suppliers of imaging services must post discounted cash prices (or gross charges if unavailable) for CMS-specified shoppable imaging services.
- The Secretary of Health and Human Services determines the specific areas where prices must be posted.
- Defines key terms, including "discounted cash price" (cash or cash-equivalent charge), "shoppable service" (advance-schedulable services including ancillary items), and "specified clinical diagnostic laboratory test" (excluding advanced diagnostic tests).
Significant Changes to Existing Law The bill introduces a new physical posting requirement for prices at hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, laboratories, and imaging providers. This builds on but expands beyond prior price transparency rules by mandating visible wall displays for shoppable services rather than relying solely on online or other formats.
Potential Impacts
- Government agencies: Increases oversight and compliance monitoring by the Department of Health and Human Services and CMS.
- Citizens: Provides patients with easier access to price information for planning care, potentially influencing consumer choices.
- No direct effects on international relations are addressed.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, laboratories, and imaging service providers (required to implement postings).
- Patients and healthcare consumers (intended beneficiaries of transparency).
- Federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services and CMS (responsible for specifying services and areas).
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The measure promotes regulatory transparency in healthcare pricing under existing federal authority over public health services. It may raise questions about administrative burdens on providers but does not appear to introduce novel constitutional issues. Politically, it focuses on consumer access to pricing data without altering broader insurance or payment structures.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Miller-Meeks, Mariannette [R-IA-1]
Recent Actions
- 2026-06-25: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote.
- 2026-06-25: Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
- 2026-06-23: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- 2026-06-23: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
- 2026-06-23: Introduced in House
- 2026-06-23: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Prices on the Wall Act of 2026 — issued 2026-06-23 — PDF (4 pages)