Real-time compliance just got real

Back in April, we launched our .txt File Validator. This was the first in a series of checkpoints we designed to bring the industry real-time compliance indicators. Now that the CY 2024 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) Final Rule’s new machine-readable files (MRF) requirements for hospitals are in effect, we’re combining efforts to launch our newest real-time compliance indicator: a Live MRF Tracker.

What’s the tracker tracking?

This tracker allows anyone a nuanced view of compliance in real-time. Users can view:

• The percentage of hospitals that have complied with all requirements to date
• The percentage of hospitals that have posted MRFs regardless of their compliance status (meaning the percent non-compliant files + compliant files)
• The percentage of hospitals compliant with 1/1/24’s .txt file requirement
• The percentage of hospitals compliant with 7/1/24’s updated MRF schema requirement

How are you determining compliance?

We’re so glad you asked! We’ve outlined exactly how we’re measuring compliance here.

How are those compliance numbers looking so far?

As we saw when the Hospital Price Transparency Rule went into effect in 2021, we expect to see the rate of compliance low at first and then find a steady incline. Since results will show up in real-time as our team validates each hospital's files, it will take a few days to know what compliance looks like. With time, we hope to see all hospitals making good-faith efforts to comply with all requirements.

What about the quality of the files?

The quality of the files remains high. With the addition of this new schema, price transparency data just got a lot easier to digest at scale. Thanks to our engineering team's data wizardry, we can offer an unparalleled view of data regardless of its compliance with the new schema or its format. What a beautiful day for price transparency!