Michigan House Bills Would Create a Hospital Cost Review Board
Four Michigan House bills under review by the House Government Operations Committee would establish a Hospital Cost Review Board to regulate how nonprofit hospitals set and raise prices. The legislation, House Bills 6116 through 6119, was introduced by Speaker Matt Hall and three Republican colleagues.
The five-member board would be appointed by the governor and the majority and minority leaders in each legislative chamber. Members would need expertise in health care, health policy, business, finance, or accounting.
What the Bills Would Require Hospitals to Do
The bills would require nonprofit hospitals to submit annual financial data, including explanations for any price increases tied to drug costs, medical devices, or labor. House Bill 6116 caps price increases for health services at the rate of inflation.
“What the patient deserves is confidence that higher prices are tied to higher costs, not simply passed on because they can.”
Rep. Mike Harris (R-Waterford), House Government Operations Committee hearing, June 25, 2026
Harris drew a direct comparison to insurance regulation: insurers cannot raise premiums without regulatory review, and the bills would apply the same principle to nonprofit hospitals.
Mergers, Acquisitions, and Rural Hospital Relief
If signed into law, the bills would require hospitals to reduce the total cost of insurance-covered services by 10% within 14 days. The board would also need to approve any hospital mergers or acquisitions before they proceed.
The legislation would limit employee noncompete agreements to cases involving large hospital systems only. It would also create a healthcare cost grant program for rural hospitals that have operated at a loss of at least 3% for three consecutive years. That grant program would be funded by fines collected from non-compliant hospitals and fees from the merger approval process.
The bills have not yet passed out of committee. No vote date has been announced.
What You Can Do Now
-
Call your Michigan state representative at (517) 373-0135 (the Michigan House main line) and tell them you support HB 6116-6119 and want the bills moved out of committee for a full floor vote. Hospital costs affect every insured Michigan resident.
-
Contact the House Government Operations Committee directly. Chair Rep. Jay DeBoyer can be reached through the Michigan Legislature’s contact directory at legislature.mi.gov. Tell him you want a committee vote scheduled before the summer recess.
-
Contact Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s office at (517) 373-3400 and ask her to signal support for hospital price oversight legislation. Her signature would be required for the bills to take effect, and public pressure now shapes her position before a final bill reaches her desk.
-
Check your hospital’s nonprofit status and tax exemptions using the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search at apps.irs.gov/app/eos/. If your local hospital is a nonprofit, it would fall under this board’s oversight. Knowing the facts strengthens your call or letter.
Sources
Michigan Advance: Michigan House Committee Weighs Hospital Cost Oversight Bills
Michigan Legislature: House Bill 6116 Text and Status
KFF: How State Hospital Price Transparency Laws Work
Altarum Institute: Michigan Health Spending Trends and Hospital Consolidation