Sec. 502. Publishing of cash price for care paid through health savings accounts
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/bill/114/s/2985/is/section-502·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Section 223(f) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: A payment to a health care provider with respect to the furnishing of health care items and services by such provider shall not be treated as a qualified medical expense unless health care provider provides for continuing disclosure (such as through posting on a publicly accessible website) of the cash price the health care provider charges for the furnishing of such items and services.
The disclosure of prices under this subsection shall be in a form and manner specified by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Secretary, and shall be designed— to establish a single price for related items and services in a manner similar to the manner in which pricing and payment for such items and services is provided under the Medicare program under title XVIII of the Social Security Act, and to make it easy for consumers to compare the prices for similar items and services furnished by different providers.
A health care provider shall be treated as not meeting the requirement of subparagraph (A), in the case of items and services for which the provider is disclosing a cash price, if the provider— refuses to furnish such items or services at the price listed, or charges more than the price listed for the furnishing of the items and services. . Section 530A(c)(4) of such Code, as added by this Act, is amended by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: Section 223(f)(9) (relating to cash price transparency required for payments to health care providers). .
If the Secretary determines that a health care provider has not provided for continuing disclosure of the cash price of health care provider charges under section 223(f)(9) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, the Secretary may instruct the Secretary of the Treasury that payments made to such provider shall be not treated, for purposes of section 223 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as an amount used for a qualified medical expense for a period of not to exceed 1 year. The amendments made by this section shall apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2016.