Power to the Patients Joins NYC Rally for Real Hospital Prices
  

Power to the Patients joined the Coalition for Affordable Hospitals, alongside unions, employers, politicians, and patient advocates, at a rally outside of NewYork-Presbyterian hospital last week, demanding hospitals post their upfront prices. Demonstrators also protested against hospitals' lucrative tax breaks, which deprive the community of resources, and hospital greed that puts profits over patients. The rally featured the union SEIU 32BJ, which represents approximately 200,000 building services workers and their families across the Northeast, as well as the New York State Nurses Association and others. 

NewYork-Presbyterian, along with most hospitals in the city and state, is not complying with a federal hospital price transparency rule that took effect on January 1, 2021. According to a recent study by PatientRightsAdvocate, only 16% of hospitals nationwide are in compliance with this rule that requires them to post their discounted cash prices and all insurance rates. 

The demonstrators' price transparency demand is needed now. Healthcare consumers of all backgrounds are being victimized by the opaque healthcare system that blinds patients to prices and leaves them at the mercy of hospital greed. Robust price transparency will allow more healthcare consumers to easily follow the lead of SEIU 32BJ, which recently cut NewYork-Presbyterian from its health plan network after analyzing its health claims data and discovering widespread price gouging. The ensuing savings allowed the union to give its members their highest pay raises in history and $3,000 bonuses, helping them offset the costs of ongoing inflation.