I had a moment of déjà vu when I saw headlines last month about a hospital price transparency bill heading to the Wisconsin Senate. So I checked — it was August 2022 when I wrote about health care price transparency for this column.
I wish I had a more promising update for you.
That 2022 column was triggered by the federal government’s Transparency in Coverage Rule that had recently been finalized. It requires health insurers and group health plans to disclose pricing information with the ultimate goal of lowering consumer costs.
The new Senate Bill 383 making headlines would require Wisconsin health care providers to post prices for at least 300 “shoppable services” — procedures that can be scheduled in advance. It is similar to bills that have been proposed in the past, including a 2023 version that stalled in the legislature. And it’s enough to make a health care consumer’s head spin.
It’s been nearly four years since the federal Transparency in Coverage Rule went into effect. Unfortunately, most consumers and employers say little has changed as compliance has been inconsistent and execution complicated.
According to Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce’s winter 2026 employer survey, rising health care costs are the top concern for business leaders. Health care costs represent one of a business’ largest and most unpredictable operating expenses. When businesses are seeing insurance rates jump 20% in a single year without explanation, they are making million-dollar commitments in the dark.
Health care costs in Wisconsin routinely rank as some of the highest in the country, which pose threats to employers who say rising costs are draining resources away from growth.
The Wisconsin Hospital Association opposes the bill, saying the addition of state regulation will create unnecessary complexity when similar federal regulation already exists and the focus should be on insurers.
Indeed, we need health care cost transparency on every level, from both hospitals and insurers. Businesses in Northeast Wisconsin can’t afford to continue operating without it.
