The Wall Street Journal reports that the US Chamber of Commerce and the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association are trying to block a federal rule aimed at increasing the transparency of healthcare costs.
According to the Journal, the rule requires beginning in 2022 that health plans disclose what they pay to hospitals, other healthcare providers, and for drugs. Currently, such information is typically kept confidential, and when the Trump Administration announced the rule, it said the hope by making the data public was to lower healthcare costs. Economists tells the Journal, though, that it's not clear that will happen as some providers on the low end may push for higher rates, while insurers paying the most may seek discounts.
The Chamber of Commerce and PCMA, an industry group representing pharmacy benefit managers, has filed lawsuits against the Department of Health and Human Services and other federal agencies to block the rule, which they argue its burdensome and will raise healthcare costs, the Journal says.