Attorney general targets 2 Florida hospitals over lack of price transparency
Attorney General James Uthmeier issued subpoenas Friday to Florida-based hospitals to ensure they comply with price transparency laws.
'Patients are still consumers, and they deserve transparency,' Uthmeier said in a video posted on X. 'The big healthcare industry complex continues to rake in billions off Americans in their most vulnerable moments. We must protect patients.'
Uthmeier said under Florida law, a hospital's failure to provide price disclosure may constitute an unfair and deceptive trade practice. He said his subpoenas are related to patient charges, disclosures, billing practice, price transparency and surprise billing protections. The attorney general said his investigation is in line with President Donald Trump's price transparency executive order.
Patient advocacy groups in Florida have been pushing for more price transparency.
'Hospitals have hidden their prices yet have forced patients to sign a blank check before they can get care,' said Cynthia A. Fisher, founder and chairman of PatientRightsAdvocate.org, a nonprofit focused on healthcare price transparency. 'As long as prices have been hidden, hospitals have been able to charge whatever they want. The attorney general's action aims to protect patients by providing actual, upfront prices. This investigation will protect Floridians from hospitals' predatory practices, prevent overcharges, and make bills accountable.'
Uthmeier's subpoenas were delivered to Southern Baptist Hospital of Florida in Jacksonville and Adventist Health (Advent Health) in Central Florida, according to the advocacy group.
PatientRightsAdvocate.org released its seventh semi-annual Hospital Price Transparency Report in fall 2024, which examined 2,000 hospitals' compliance with the federal Hospital Price Transparency Rule. The November 2024 report indicates that only 29% of hospitals in Florida were fully compliant with the federal price transparency rule, a drop from 41% in February 2024.
Only 39 of 135 Florida hospitals reviewed were fully complying with the rule.
'By keeping their prices hidden, hospitals continue to block American consumers from their right to compare prices and protect themselves from overcharges,' Fisher said. 'During a patient's most vulnerable hour, all too often, hospitals require them to sign contracts accepting full financial responsibility without acknowledging any prices. Florida law clearly states that unfair and deceptive acts and practices are 'unlawful,' which include omitting material information like prices. Yet, that is exactly what Florida hospitals have been doing.'
Florida Health Price Finder is a state-operated website developed by the Agency for Health Care Administration to show prices of common services.
South Florida Sun Sentinel health reporter Cindy Goodman can be reached at cgoodman@sunsentinel.com.
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