It’s ironic that the federal government already has a mandatory disclosure rule for the real out-of-pocket costs people incur at a vulnerable time in their lives. But it’s not a rule for health care—it’s for funeral homes. The Funeral Rule,18 enacted by the Federal Trade Commission in 1984, requires funeral providers to offer itemized pricing information to consumers before they purchase any services. The rationale is that consumers in a distressing situation should have honest pricing information, a rule that should also apply to the living, not just the dead.
Highly reasonable; why does it only apply to this one area? Navigating most healthcare is done at vulnerable times, or at least, patients at large are in vulnerable positions.
