Mansfield Times

The Ohio Senate has passed House Bill 49, mandating hospitals to adhere to the federal price transparency law. This legislation requires hospitals to maintain and publicly disclose a list of standard charges for services that patients may schedule in advance. The bill was supported by State Senator Mark Romanchuk (R-Ontario), who serves as the Chair of the Medicaid Committee and is a member of the Health Committee.

"Ohioans deserve the opportunity to do their own healthcare research," said Romanchuk. "The federal government has already implemented this policy but having it as a state law will protect access in case the federal law is not enforced. Patient rights should be preserved to make a basic decision when they need health services."

House Bill 49 also stipulates penalties for hospitals that fail to comply with these requirements. Additionally, it prevents medical debt collectors from sharing or reporting any patient medical debt to an agency for one year after the patient's first bill.

The bill has now moved out of the Senate and awaits concurrence from the House.