Evaluation of chargemaster price transparency for dermatologic procedures: A national analysis

To the Editor: Hospital chargemasters list the standard gross prices for various procedures and medications. In 2019, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services required hospitals to publicize their chargemasters to increase price transparency but provided minimal guidelines. 1 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesMedicare program: proposed changes to hospital outpatient prospective payment and ambulatory surgical center payment systems and quality reporting programs; price transparency of hospital standard charges; proposed revisions of organ procurement organizations conditions of coverage; proposed prior authorization process and requirements for certain covered outpatient department services; potential changes to the laboratory date of service policy; proposed changes to grandfathered children’s hospitals-within hospitals. Fed Regist. 2019; 84: 39398-39644 Google Scholar ,2 Arvisais-Anhalt S. McDonald S. Park J.Y. Kapinos K. Lehmann C.U. Basit M. Survey of hospital chargemaster transparency. Appl Clin Inform. 2021; 12: 391-398 Crossref PubMed Scopus (7) Google Scholar For uninsured or self-pay patients, chargemaster prices likely mirror out-of-pocket expenses incurred. Chargemasters may, therefore, influence care decisions and encourage these patients to compare prices among hospitals to find affordable options; their implications for dermatologic care remain underexplored.