Oklahoma law now requires hospitals to post prices of procedures

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — If you have ever undergone a medical procedure, you know one of the scariest parts is not knowing how much you will have to pay.

That will no longer be the case for Oklahomans starting Saturday, November 1st.

Governor Kevin Stitt held a press conference Tuesday with other supporters of the new Hospital Price Transparency Law.

"It's asking for transparency in pricing at hospitals, pretty common sense for consumers," Gov. Kevin Stitt said.

Starting November 1st, Oklahoma hospitals must post prices for procedures, so patients know how much they are paying before the bill arrives.

"We should be able to know how much things cost and not be surprised by humongous medical bills," Gov. Stitt said.

"This law protects consumers who say if they've been harmed by overcharges, they also have a private right of action to go after the hospital for way overcharging them beyond the prices they were to have paid," Cynthia Fisher, Founder and Chairman for Patient Rights Advocate said.

Fisher says in their most recent report, only 12% of Oklahoma hospitals reviewed were fully complying with the federal hospital price transparency rule first implemented nearly five years ago.

"And what has happened in the shadows is there is wide price variation," Fisher said. "One patient may pay with their plan $1,200, and another patient may be billed over $12,000 for that very same procedure."

Supporters believe this law will create a free market system, and in turn, bring down prices.

"I think we'll see prices fall and quality soar," Dr. Keith Smith, Co-Founder of the Free Market Medical Association and Surgery Center of Oklahoma said.

The State Department of Health will make sure hospitals post prices.

We reached out to a couple of hospitals to see how they plan to roll this out.

Integris Health never got back with us, and OU Health said they would send over something Wednesday.

Gov. Stitt says there is one main goal behind this law.

"We're going to put power back into the consumers hands, going to lower health care cost across the state of Oklahoma," Gov. Stitt said.

You can find the price transparency tool here.