NATIONWIDE — Hospitals may soon have to post their standard prices online, under a federal proposal, making it easier to price-shop.

  • Medicare to require hospitals to post their prices online
  • They'll also be required to make records more easily accessible
  • Rule applies to Medicare providers for now

Under the Trump administration plan announced Tuesday, Medicare would require hospitals post the prices and make medical records more easily accessible to patients.

The new rules would take effect in 2019. Officials are also seeking comment on how to stop hospitals from billing for unknown services from out-of-network providers. They apply mostly to Medicare patients and providers, but officials hope the changes cascade to other parts of the health care system.

The new rules are part of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service's efforts to give patients more information about medical costs and records.

"Our administration is serious about ensuring that when a patient leaves a hospital, they are able to get their medical information electronically," Seema Verma, the federal agency's administrator, told CNN.

Hospitals are already required to disclose prices publicly, but the change would make them post that information online, which would make it easier to access by computer systems.

Health care providers often provide computerized records, but starting in 2021, Medicare will in part start basing payments to hospitals on well they do.

Information from CNN and the Associated Press was used in this report.