Hospital rate increases or charges in excess of rates – Wis. Stat. Ann. § 153.08

No hospital may increase its rates or charge payers more than the rates in effect unless the hospital publishes a notice outlining the rate increase.  This section does not apply to hospitals that propose to increase their rates that do not exceed the percentage amount that is the percentage difference between the consumer price index reported for the 12-month period ending on December 31 of the preceding year and the consumer price index reported for the 12-month period ending on December 31 of the year prior to the preceding year.

The data collection entity must publish a hospital rate increase report annually that contains the following information on the hospital:

• The name and city of the hospital;
• Date the increase is to go into effect;
• Annualized percentage rate increase;
• Geographic area of analysis.