American Hospital Assocation-supported legislation introduced Sept. 13 by Rep. Michael Burgess, R-TX, would require states to publicly report hospital charges for certain inpatient and outpatient services, and insurers to give patients an estimate of their expected out-of-pocket expenses on request. “America’s hospitals are working hard to share useful information, including information about hospital prices, that helps patients and consumers when making choices about their care,” said AHA Executive Vice President Rick Pollack. “That’s why we strongly support the Health Care Price Transparency Act of 2006.”
In addition, the bill would require the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to study what type of health care price information consumers would find useful and how it could be made available in a timely and understandable form. “This research is essential if we are to reach the goal of providing useful information that helps people make informed decisions about their care,” Pollack said.
[ via AHA News Now ]
Comments