I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1409 

To promote transparency in health care pricing, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 27, 2019 

Mr. PERLMUTTER (for himself, Mr. GALLAGHER, Mrs. TORRES of California, 

Ms. NORTON, Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI, Mr. NEGUSE, and Mr. RASKIN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and 

Means, and Oversight and Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 

as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To promote transparency in health care pricing, and for 

other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Transparency in All 

5 Health Care Pricing Act of 2019’’. 

6 SEC. 2. TRANSPARENCY IN ALL HEALTH CARE PRICING. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Any and all individuals or busi8 ness entities, including hospitals, physicians, nurses, pharVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:57 Mar 12, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1409.IH H1409

kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
2 

•HR 1409 IH

1 macies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, dentists, and the 

2 insurance entities described in subsection (d), and any 

3 other health care related providers or issuers that offer 

4 or furnish health care related items, products, services, or 

5 procedures (as defined by the Secretary of Health and 

6 Human Services) for sale to the public shall publicly dis7 close, on a continuous basis, all prices for such items, 

8 products, services, or procedures in accordance with this 

9 section. 

10 (b) MANNER OF DISCLOSURE.—The disclosure re11 quired under subsection (a) shall— 

12 (1) be made in an open and conspicuous man13 ner; 

14 (2) be made available at the point of purchase, 

15 in print, and on the internet; and 

16 (3) include all wholesale, retail, subsidized, dis17 counted, or other such prices the individuals or busi18 ness entities described in such subsection accept as 

19 payment in full for items, products, services, or pro20 cedures such individuals or business entities furnish 

21 to individual consumers. 

22 (c) PENALTIES.—The Secretary of Health and 

23 Human Services may investigate any and all individuals 

24 or business entities that fail to comply with the require25 ments of this section and may impose on such individuals 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
3 

•HR 1409 IH

1 or business entities civil fines, or other civil penalties, as 

2 determined appropriate by the Secretary. 

3 (d) INSURANCE ENTITY DESCRIBED.—For purposes 

4 of this section, an insurance entity includes a health insur5 ance issuer with respect to the offering of health insurance 

6 coverage, including in the individual market and small and 

7 large group market (as such terms are defined in section 

8 2791 of the Public Health Service Act), a plan sponsor 

9 with respect to the offering of a group health plan (as 

10 defined in such section 2791), and entities responsible for 

11 the administration of governmental health plans (includ12 ing the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services with re13 spect to the Medicare program under title XVIII of the 

14 Social Security Act, State agencies responsible for admin15 istration of State plans under the Medicaid program under 

16 title XIX of such Act, or State child assistance plans 

17 under the State Children’s Health Insurance Program 

18 under title XXI of such Act, and the Office of Personnel 

19 Management with respect to the Federal Employees 

20 Health Benefits Program under chapter 89 of title 5, 

21 United States Code). 

Æ 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS