The price transparency lawsuit scheduled for Tuesday-Wednesday, September 26-27, in Williams County Common Pleas Court has been postponed by Judge J.T. Stelzer.
At this time, there is no further information about the next hearing date. In the meantime, the price transparency law will not take effect. The restraining order is still in place and will continue to be in place until such time as a hearing occurs (or the Judge rules on constitutionality without holding a hearing).
All physician and other health care organizations have stated “loudly and clearly” that the enacted price transparency statute is unworkable and impossible to implement. The required report of the Health Services Price Disclosure Study Committee is still unwritten and the rules to implement the statute are not promulgated. The statute contains no penalties for failing to adhere to the law but most physician contracts contain a clause that states they must be in compliance with all state laws, so it is imperative that a fix be determined as soon as possible.
The intent of the legislation is to require providers of health care services to offer, upon request, a good-faith cost estimate for all non-emergency services. Negotiations relative to how to amend the law to make it workable have been ongoing for over two years; thus, the need for filing of the lawsuit requesting a temporary restraining order.