New Survey of Americans Shows Demand for an End to Unreasonable and Alarming Hospital Price Markups
As U.S. House Takes Aim at Hospital Practices Yet Again, Poll Shows Nearly 80% of Voters Believe Hospital Prices Are Rising to Unreasonable Levels; Hospital Prices Rank as Most Unreasonable in Healthcare
WASHINGTON, DC – (May 16, 2023) – A new poll released today by Better Solutions For Healthcare–a national coalition of employer and healthcare groups–shows voters are fed up with corporate hospital systems over unreasonable and alarming price markups that are making health care unaffordable. The new poll, conducted by Seven Letter Insight, comes as hospitals face increased bipartisan scrutiny in Washington for anti-competitive practices–including excessive markups, hospital monopolies, the lack of price transparency, and dishonest billing practices. Just this week, the House Ways and Means Committee is doing a full committee hearing on transparency, a Ways and Means subcommittee is doing a hearing on consolidation, and the House Energy and Commerce Committee is marking up transparency bills.
According to the poll:
- More than three-quarters of voters (78%) believe the prices that hospitals charge for care are rising to unreasonable levels. Voters rank the prices charged by hospitals as the most unreasonable among all healthcare-related costs.
- Voters are feeling the impact of unreasonable and alarming hospital markups. Fully 92% agree that hospitals charging more for prescription drugs and treatments causes their personal healthcare costs to increase – even those with employer provided health insurance.
- Most voters (60%) believe hospital provider consolidation is a bad thing. Voters see the practice of corporate hospital systems taking over smaller practices leading to fewer choices and higher prices.
Read the polling memo from Seven Letter Insight.
“Voters have had enough of unreasonable corporate hospital system markups on core services and treatments,” said Alex Schriver, executive director for Better Solutions. “This survey shows that Americans are feeling the pain of alarming price increases and a corporate focus on bottom line over patient outcomes. The good news is that these egregious hospital practices are now squarely in Congress’ focus. Our coalition will continue to push lawmakers to adopt common-sense solutions that rein in unreasonable markups, promote hospital competition, deliver real price transparency, and ensure honest hospital billing.”
Earlier this month, the coalition endorsed the bipartisan Healthy Competition For Better Care Act, which will help address anti-competitive practices and increase transparency in corporate health systems.
ABOUT BETTER SOLUTIONS
Better Solutions for Healthcare is a coalition focused on educating consumers, employers, and lawmakers on the rising cost of healthcare and providing ideas on working together to find better solutions that lower healthcare costs for all Americans. National employer groups that have joined Better Solutions include American Benefits Council, National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions, Public Sector Healthcare Roundtable and Business Group on Health. The coalition also includes AHIP and BlueCross BlueShield Association.
For more information on Better Solutions for Healthcare, please visit the website or follow the campaign on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.