North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory has signed into law House Bill 834, which requires ambulatory surgery centers and hospitals to post their prices on 140 of their most common procedures.
Under the new law, all hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers will submit pricing on the 100 most common inpatient diagnosis-related groups, 20 most common surgical procedures and 20 most common imaging procedures starting next year. The original bill only called for the 50 most common procedures.
The law, which made its way through North Carolina's legislature over the course of this year, came in response to several local newspaper reports that found significant variation in hospital prices for certain procedures, with some hospitals' prices three times more than those of their peers.
More Articles on ASCs and Price Transparency:
ASC CEO Comments on Recent New Hampshire Price Transparency Bill Submission
Where ASCs Fit In With Healthcare Price Transparency: Q&A With Robyn Jackson
KPCC Creates Searchable Database of California Medicare Procedure Costs