Ohio’s new law unveils hospital prices
By Jack Windsor / April 10, 2025
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — A press conference this morning in the Harding Press Room inside the Ohio Statehouse brought attention to a pricing transparency law requiring hospitals to post dollars-and-cents prices that are accurate and simple for consumers to find and understand.
State Reps Ron Ferguson (R-Wintersville) and Tim Barhorst (R-Fort Loramie), champions of the law, teamed up with advocates Patrick Neville and Marni Jameson Carey to explain how the measure will change healthcare for Ohioans.
The big idea is that hospitals must report their prices upfront so people know what they’re paying for before they get a bill. The Ohio law has “teeth” that federal orders do not.
Ferguson said, “It means empowering Ohio with clear upfront information on the cost of medical care. This is about giving patients the ability to make informed decisions, shop affordable options, and avoid surprise bills that can devastate families.”
Both Democrats and Republicans supported the law unanimously. Ferguson said he thinks hospitals sharing prices will spark competition and bring costs down for everyone.
“This bill that we got passed…it’s going to provide a true margin in healthcare where the patients and their employer-sponsored plans can partner together to have transparency, link quality with prices, and have better outcomes,” Barhorst said. He also noted that healthcare costs eat up 20% or more in Ohio and in the U.S. economy, way more than other industrialized nations. He believes this law could “drive the cost down while helping businesses and workers get better care at the right price.”
Marni Jameson Carey from Power to the Patients said the law is a win. “Ohioans no longer have to enter the healthcare system with a blank check,” she said.
She told a story about Tracy Owens from Norton, Ohio, who got hit with a $14,500 bill for a simple surgery—way more than the state average of $6,400. Tracy still owed $2,800 after her insurance kicked in. Worse, after she made several monthly payments to chip away at the balance, the hospital later added $700 more out of nowhere, with no explanations. Carey says this law means “secrecy and overcharges are about to end” because people can now shop around and hold hospitals accountable.
Barhorst imagines an app that allows Ohioans to see what hospitals charge and which are compliant — driving better outcomes and pricing while holding hospitals accountable to the new law.
Patrick Neville from Patient Rights Advocate wrapped it up, praising Ferguson and Barhorst for their hard work. “Effective tomorrow, the state of Ohio will be empowered to show citizens hospital prices in actual dollar amounts, not estimates or algorithms,” he said. He compared it to shopping for flights online, where you might soon check your phone and see an MRI, which could cost $400 or $12,500, depending on the hospital. He thinks this will “empower consumers and employers” and make healthcare a real market with fair competition.
The law requires hospitals to post prices starting April 3 or face fines from the Ohio Department of Health after a 60-day grace period. If they don’t comply and get a fine, their fines will be posted online. That means that healthcare consumers in the Buckeye State will now have access to prices and information on which hospitals are — or are not — compliant with the new law.