Hospital rate increases or charges in excess of rates
Wis. Stat. § 153.08
in effect(1) In this section:
(a) “Consumer price index” has the meaning given in s. 16.004 (8) (e) 1.
(b) Notwithstanding s. 153.01 (5), “hospital” has the meaning given in s. 50.33 (2), except that “hospital” does not include a center for the developmentally disabled as defined in s. 51.01 (3).
(c) “Rates” means individual charges of a hospital for the services that it provides.
(2) No hospital may increase its rates or charge any payer an amount exceeding its rates that are in effect on May 12, 1992, unless the hospital first causes to be published a class 1 notice under ch. 985 in a newspaper likely to give notice in the area where the hospital is located, no sooner than 45 days and no later than 30 days before the proposed rate change is to take effect. The notice shall describe the proposed rate change.
(3) This section does not apply to a hospital that proposes to increase its rates during the course of the hospital’s fiscal year by any amount or amounts that, in the aggregate, 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.
(4) A hospital shall publish a class 1 notice under ch. 985 at least 10 days prior to the institution by the hospital of a rate increase.
(5) The entity under contract under s. 153.05 (2m) (a) shall annually publish a hospital rate increase report that contains all of the following information:
(a) For each hospital that publishes a notice under sub. (4), all of the following:
1. The name of the hospital and the city, village, or town in which the hospital is located.
2. The date the rate increase is to take effect.
3. The annualized percentage rate increase that will result.
4. The geographic area of analysis in which the hospital is located.
(b) A list of hospitals that have closed since 1993.
Source: WI Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/153.08Fetched: 10/7/2026