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House committee rejects Mercer’s hospital price‑transparency bill; members cite costs and litigation risk
Summary
The committee heard extensive testimony for and against HB 689. Hospitals warned the bill duplicates federal requirements, would be costly to implement, and could spur litigation; the committee voted the bill down in committee and then tabled it.
Representative Bill Mercer presented House Bill 689 as a consumer‑protection measure intended to require Montana hospitals to provide accessible price information and, after a notice‑and‑cure period, allow enforcement under the Montana Consumer Protection Act.
Mercer told members the bill is modeled on statutes in other states and argued that federal enforcement has been inconsistent: "If you want to ensure Montana hospitals are going to do the sort of things that I believe should be done under price transparency, you should not rely on the federal government," he said.
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