New reform bill could lower US healthcare costs, say advocates

Bipartisan bill would require hospitals, diagnostic laboratories, surgical centers and pharmacy managers to publicly post prices

A bipartisan healthcare reform bill passed by the House could make it easier for Americans to find out the cost of a doctor's appointment or procedure before a patient receives it - a task that currently ranges in difficulty from Herculean to impossible.

The bill would require hospitals, diagnostic laboratories, imaging services, surgical centers and pharmacy benefit managers to publicly post prices. That, supporters said, could bring down the cost of healthcare as consumers" shop around.