The right to transparency about charges applies to which charges?

• A. The right to transparency applies only to emergency room charges.
• B. The right to transparency applies only to outpatient charges.
• C. The right to transparency applies to charges for emergency room, outpatient and inpatient treatments.
• D. The right to transparency does not apply to physician fees.

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is price transparency for care, meaning patients should have clear information about what they’ll be charged for services. This applies across the whole care continuum, not just one setting or one type of charge. So it covers emergency room visits, outpatient services, and inpatient hospital stays, including both facility charges and the professional fees charged by physicians and other clinicians who provide care. The reason this is the best choice is that it reflects the full range of costs a patient may encounter in a single episode of care, helping with informed decision-making and budgeting. Limiting transparency to just one category (like ER or outpatient) or excluding physician fees would miss substantial parts of the total charges patients face.