In December, a coalition called on Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to advance pricing transparency in healthcare. With skyrocketing insurance premiums and healthcare costs, thanks to the Affordable Care Act, pricing transparency would help consumers make more affordable choices.
There's a groundswell for such transparency, and it's bipartisan.
🚨 MUST WATCH: A remarkable, bipartisan coalition is rallying behind one healthcare policy:
— PatientRightsAdvocate.org (@PtRightsAdvoc) December 16, 2025
Let patients see the actual prices before care. It's that simple.
From the administration to bipartisan U.S. Senators, economists, and more all are calling for real healthcare price… pic.twitter.com/6B0QlV84nN
Now, Secretary Kennedy announced that he and President Trump are working to make price transparency in healthcare a reality.
President Trump and I are doing everything we can to pull back the curtain on prices for hospital stays, physician visits, and prescription drugs. We’re delivering on those promises, working to make your health care more transparent, more accessible, and more convenient, with no… pic.twitter.com/8z2Q1yxp0d
— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) January 12, 2026
"When you go out to eat at a restaurant, the price of food is right there on the menu," Kennedy said. "When you purchase something online, you know exactly how much you're going to be charged before you click 'buy.' Why is it that, when it comes to many medical procedures, we only find out the price afterward?"
"And unlike a restaurant or an online purchase, medical bills often run into hundreds of thousands of dollars," Kennedy continued. "Who benefits from that? Certainly not the patients. While you've been at home worrying about that bill coming in the mail, health insurers and hospitals have been hiking up prices and pocketing skyrocketing profits."
Recommended
"Patients are fed up with the status quo, and that's why President Trump took action in his first term to pull back the curtain on prices for hospital stays, physicians' visits, and prescription drugs. Now we're building on that," Kennedy said.
"Thanks to the leadership of Dr. Oz and his incredible team at CMS, the Trump administration recently published 'Transparency In Coverage 2.0' proposed rule that requires health insurers to show patients the actual cost upfront. When you can see the cost of care before you receive it," Kennedy said, "you can shop for the lowest cost, highest-quality treatments which will drive down the cost of care by promoting market competition in the process."
"Right after the Senate confirmed me as your HHS Secretary, President Trump signed an executive order that directs us to make healthcare pricing clear, accurate, transparent, and actionable," Kennedy added. "And the MAHA strategy released in September calls for HHS to implement that executive order. Today, we're delivering on those directives, working to make your healthcare more transparent, more accessible, more convenient, with no surprises.
"Our proposed rule requires the information be available to you in multiple ways, including on your cell phone. Other nations have found that when governments require price transparency, patients make informed choices that are better for them, better for society, bringing down national healthcare costs dramatically," Kennedy said. "Analysts estimate that price transparency could save American consumers $80 billion annually in healthcare costs. President Trump and I are doing everything we can to make sure healthcare is more affordable, and that starts by empowering you with options and information right down to the last dollar."
Several groups praised this development.
"The Trump Administration’s focus on healthcare price transparency represents a historic commitment to making care genuinely affordable and accountable for American families, workers, and businesses. For too long, families, workers, and small businesses have been trapped by hidden prices and surprise medical bills that line the pockets of powerful hospital systems and insurers," said Trent England, Executive Director of Save Our States. "The Administration is putting patients back in charge by forcing the healthcare industry to show real prices upfront, just like any other service. When Americans can compare costs, plan ahead, and avoid getting ripped off, competition works, and prices come down. Price transparency is a core part of President Trump’s pro-worker, pro-family, and pro-growth healthcare strategy to lower costs, expand access, and let Americans keep more of the money they earn."
Alleigh Marré of American Parents Coalition said, “As evidenced by today’s announcement, healthcare price transparency is thankfully a top priority of the Make America Healthy Again agenda. As parents, our most important job is to ensure our children's health and safety. Making decisions about their health without knowing the cost first distracts from our only priority and makes financial planning nearly impossible. Transparency in healthcare is imperative for parents because financial uncertainty should never be a barrier to care for our families. American Parents Coalition applauds Secretary Kennedy for his tireless efforts to implement healthcare transparency.”
"Americans deserve to know the price of healthcare before they receive it, just like any other purchase, so there are no surprise bills, and families can make informed decisions. By requiring upfront prices for patients and full transparency for employers, these reforms expose hidden fees and ensure every healthcare dollar is accounted for," said Cynthia Fisher, Founder and Chairman of Patient Rights Advocate. Under President Trump and Secretary Kennedy’s leadership, the Department of Health and Human Services has a clear opportunity to deliver healthcare price transparency quickly, driving lower prices, stronger competition, more jobs, and real savings for American families. We applaud this effort and urge the Administration to move as fast as possible so Americans can see and feel the tangible results of true transparency without delay.”
Editor’s Note: Do you enjoy Townhall’s conservative reporting that takes on the radical left and woke media? Support our work so that we can continue to bring you the truth.
Join Townhall VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member