MHA's Executive Briefing

HealthGrades begins selling consumer price reports

HealthGrades, Golden, Colo., began offering price reports to consumers on 55 medical procedures, providing the regional averages for hospital and physician charges, prices negotiated by health plans and individuals' out-of-pocket costs. HealthGrades, which produces free reports on quality data for various types of providers, is charging $7.95 for each price report on a procedure.

The reports, covering the Northeast, South, Midwest and West, show that wide variation exists in even average prices for some procedures. For example, the average list price per episode of care for gastric-bypass surgery is $59,500 in the South and $35,600 in the West. So far, the five procedures for which information has most frequently been requested are vasectomy, breast reduction, gastric bypass, hip replacement and heart bypass surgery, HealthGrades said. The reports are based on information from more than 80 health plans on 55 million covered individuals. Go to HealthGrades list of price reports.

[ via Modern Healthcare ]

Advocacy group to post hospitals' pricing policies for the uninsured

Consejo de Latinos Unidos (Council of United Latinos) on March 15 announced plans to establish a Web site where it will post hospitals' pricing policies for the uninsured and monitor whether hospitals are complying with and informing uninsured patients about their discount and pricing policies. During a press conference on the so-called "Fair Pricing for the Uninsured Certification and Compliance Program," Consejo Executive Director K.B. Forbes said the advocacy group would be soliciting financial donations from hospitals to support its new program. He also admitted that Consejo has close ties to Archie Lamb, a class-action trial lawyer who along with Richard Scruggs has sued hundreds of hospitals across the country challenging hospitals' tax-exempt status and alleging unfair billing and collection practices.

Nearly all of the federal lawsuits have been dismissed or withdrawn and at least 37 of the state lawsuits have been dismissed so far. More than 4,200 hospitals have pledged to follow the AHA's Principles and Guidelines on Hospital Billing and Collection Practices, which offers a comprehensive approach to assisting uninsured patients of limited means pay for hospital care.

[ via AHA News ]