19-05-2025
Hospitals are now required to post clear prices for procedures
The state of Ohio now has a new law in place mandating that hospitals and healthcare systems make the price of every service they offer readily available to consumers.
The idea is that you will soon be able to shop around for non-emergent procedures with the prices listed clearly in dollars and cents.
News Center 7's Nick Foley looks closely into the change and whether it will make a difference.
Imagine knowing exactly what you will be charged for a knee replacement, an appendectomy, or even a blood test. That has been the goal of a federal law since 2021 requiring hospitals across the country to have openly accessible files that include prices for every item and service they provide, but several watchdog groups say that just hasn't been the case.
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Ilaria Santagelo is the director of Research for Patient Rites Advocate website ( and she said the most recent report by her group in November revealed that the three largest systems in the area – Miami Valley Hospital, Kettering Health, and Mercy Health in Springfield were not compliant.
'Unfortunately, 69 out of 80 hospitals we reviewed in Ohio are not compliant with the federal price transparency rule,' Santangelo said.
She continued by saying, 'If you go look at them, you're going to see the estimates, you're going to see the algorithms, and you're going to see those complicated formulas in lieu of dollars and cents prices, which will inhibit all Ohioans availability to be able to shop for care.'
Foley said he reviewed the websites of all three Miami Valley hospital systems, looking to compare prices for a common back MRI. To find an estimate, you need to scroll to the bottom of the site and follow the prompts for price transparency. Then, you are given the option to find estimates by inputting insurance information or skipping the step to go without.
Miami Valley Hospital and Premier Health revealed an estimated amount of just over $1,700. Springfield Regional/Mercy Health shows the procedure at just under $1,300. Meanwhile, Kettering Health posted an estimate of $965.
However, keep in mind, estimates do not always equal actual charges.
Ohio Representative Tim Barhorst of Ft. Loramie is determined to change the current landscape, co-sponsoring the Hospital Transparency Act that became law last month.
The idea is to help patients understand and compare costs, and mandate that all systems put their services into dollars and cents or face fines.
'Many of them never had intensity compliant, and that's why this law in Ohio, Hospital Transparency Bill, was required to do this, and that's why we did it,' Barhorst said.
The Ohio Department of Health is responsible for monitoring compliance and imposing penalties. Barhorst says ultimately it will be up to the patient on how the information provided affects their decisions, and he hopes long-term, other states will put similar measures into place.
'I think you're going to see the healthcare market go from a broken market with no prices and no real use for the consumer and the patient to having vibrant technology tools developed where we could use this, these prices, to help folks get the best price at the best location, and get the best outcomes as we move forward,' Barhorst said.
As part of this story, News Center 7 reached out to Premier Health, Kettering Health, and Mercy Health in Springfield. All three declined on-camera interviews, but issued the following statements:
Kettering Health Statement:
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has confirmed Kettering Health is fully compliant with all price transparency guidelines. Because we are committed to continuous improvement, we validate our work with a third-party expert who specializes in this area and shares best practices.
Community members can easily access the bill estimator tool on Kettering Health's website to better understand healthcare costs for an upcoming visit. This consumer-friendly tool provides a personalized estimate, including out-of-pocket costs, based on insurance and deductibles. Kettering Health also has customer service representatives available to answer questions related to billing, estimates, and costs of services.
Though healthcare and its cost structure can be complex, Kettering Health is committed to creating exceptional experiences for everyone we serve by making healthcare easier to access, understand, and navigate.
Premier Health Statement:
Premier Health is committed to providing pricing information to help our patients make informed health care decisions and is fully compliant with federal and state price transparency regulations.
Mercy Health (Springfield Regional):
Mercy Health believes strongly in patient-centric price transparency, and helping our patients understand their potential liabilities and costs is important to us. We understand finances are part of patients' decision-making, and to do so, they need the best information possible. As such, we are committed to fully complying with hospital price transparency laws and are confident in our adherence to these regulations. Our pricing information has been reviewed and successfully passed the CMS Machine-Readable File (MRF) validator tool, ensuring that our data meets the required format and specifications outlined by CMS.
All three also told News Center they are fully compliant with federal laws and are committed to being transparent with pricing.
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