Title: Healthcare Cost Transparency Act
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Healthcare Cost Transparency Act
This bill requires health insurance issuers, including those issuing plans to federal employees, to make price comparison guidance available to plan holders. Specifically, issuers must employ staff or provide an online tool to compare a plan holder's cost-sharing responsibility between in-network providers for specific items or services.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5121 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5121

To amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act and chapter 89 of 
  title 5, United States Code, to require health insurance issuers to 
       maintain a price comparison tool, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 15, 2019

  Mr. Beyer introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on 
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 amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act and chapter 89 of 
  title 5, United States Code, to require health insurance issuers to 
       maintain a price comparison tool, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Healthcare Cost Transparency Act''.

SEC. 2. REQUIRING HEALTH INSURANCE ISSUERS TO MAINTAIN A PRICE 
              COMPARISON TOOL.

    (a) PHSA.--Section 2709 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
300gg-9) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(c) Maintenance of Price Comparison Tool.--In connection with the 
offering of any health insurance coverage in a geographic area for a 
plan year beginning on or after January 1, 2020, a health insurance 
issuer shall employ an individual to offer price comparison guidance or 
make available on an Internet website a price comparison tool that (to 
the extent practicable) allows an individual enrolled under such 
coverage, with respect to such plan year and such geographic area, to 
compare the amount (determined by historic claims data of participating 
providers with respect to such coverage) of cost-sharing (including 
deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance) that the individual would be 
responsible for paying under such plan with respect to the furnishing 
of a specific item or service by any of such providers.''.
    (b) FEHB.--
            (1) In general.--Section 8902 of title 5, United States 
        Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 
        subsection:
    ``(p) A contract for a plan under this chapter, chapter 89A, or 89B 
shall require the applicable carrier to make available on an Internet 
website an individual to offer price comparison guidance or the price 
comparison tool, as described under subsection (c) of section 2709 of 
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300gg-9).''.
            (2) Application.--The amendment made by paragraph (1) shall 
        apply to contract years beginning in 2020.
                                 <all>