Healthcare Stocks Decline After Trump Signs Executive Order On Price Transparency

Shares of major healthcare companies such as The Cigna Group Inc. CI, Molina Healthcare Inc. MOH and UnitedHealth Group Inc. UNH dropped Wednesday following the signing of an executive order by President Donald Trump aimed at strengthening price transparency regulations in the industry.

What To Know: The order, signed on Feb. 25, directs federal agencies, including the Departments of Treasury, Labor and Health and Human Services, to enforce and expand a 2019 rule that requires hospitals and insurers to publicly disclose the actual costs of medical services. This initiative seeks to eliminate price secrecy and provide consumers with clearer information on healthcare expenses according to Reuters.

The original 2019 rule required hospitals to display pricing information for up to 300 shoppable services in a consumer-friendly format and maintain a machine-readable file of negotiated rates for every service provided. Additionally, health insurance companies were mandated to disclose their negotiated rates with healthcare providers, their out-of-network payments, and the actual costs they or their pharmacy benefit managers pay for prescription drugs.

The renewed push for transparency has raised concerns among investors that stricter enforcement could impact revenue streams for hospitals and insurers. With healthcare companies required to publish actual prices rather than estimates, there is speculation that insurers may face increased pressure to negotiate lower rates with providers, potentially affecting profit margins.

Price Action: The Cigna Group shares were down 2.27% to $306.77, Molina Healthcare shares dropped 7.95% to $281.65 and UnitedHealth Group shares declined 1.89% to $461.50 at the time of writing, according to Benzinga Pro.

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