What You Need to Know:
Colorado’s new Hospital Price Transparency Law
As of August 10, 2022, a new Colorado state law prohibits Colorado hospitals from collecting payment or pursuing debt collection against patients if the hospital is not posting its upfront prices in compliance with the federal Hospital Price Transparency Rule.
Here’s what you need to know:
The federal rule requires hospitals to post all upfront prices online in two forms:
All items and services listed in a single, Standard Charges File of all prices, and
The 300 most common shoppable services in either a Standard Charges Display or a Price Estimator Tool.
On the day you receive care at a Colorado hospital, check the hospital’s website for a Standard Charges File, 300 Shoppable Display, or Price Estimator Tool, and look for a price for the items and services you need.
If you successfully find a price, take a screenshot or print it so you can make sure your bill matches the price.
If the hospital does not post a price for those items and services on the day you received care, take a screenshot and know that the hospital cannot legally:
pursue debt collection if you do not pay the bill,
sue you for medical debt, or
report you to a credit agency for unpaid medical bills.
If the hospital pursues debt collection against you for not paying, despite its failure to post prices for your care:
You may file suit in accordance with the Colorado state law.
The court will determine whether or not the hospital was compliant with the Hospital Price Transparency Rule on the date of service.
While your lawsuit is pending, the hospital cannot take a collection action against you.
If the court finds the hospital in violation of the law, the hospital will be prohibited from billing you for that care, and must:
pay you the amount it was seeking from you
remove any negative credit reports
refund any payments made by you for your care, and
pay any attorney fees and costs you incurred.
Reach out to us if you need help going through this process.
