McCrory signs health pricing transparency law

Hospitals will have to disclose their prices for 140 common medical procedures under the new law.

Posted 4:18 p.m. Aug 21, 2013 — Updated 4:28 p.m. Aug 21, 2013

By

Mark Binker

RALEIGH, N.C. — Gov. Pat McCrory has signed a bill designed to make comparing the prices for certain medical procedures easier.

House Bill 834 requires hospitals and surgical centers to provide public pricing information for 100 common in-patient services, 20 common surgical procedures and 20 common imaging procedures to the state Department of Health and Human Services. DHHS will publish that information on its website.

"This new law gives patients and their doctors pricing information so they can make an informed financial decision with regard to their health care," McCrory said in a statement.

Another section of the legislation limits the ability of hospitals to force repayment of hospital bills through liens on a patient's home or garnishing wages.

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