With almost anything else in life—such as buying or renting a home, ordering a ride share service, booking a flight or hotel, or shopping online—we receive detailed information up front so we have the freedom and flexibility to choose what fits our budgets and needs.
But when we ask what healthcare services will cost up front, we’re often met with, “it depends” (on our insurance plan, employer, conditions we’re in, or settings the care was delivered). This isn’t fair or conducive to a functional marketplace where consumers make informed decisions and providers have an incentive to keep prices low.
Thankfully, the administration is stopping to ask why patients don’t have the power to make choices that reflect what’s best for them and their wallets. THREE departments in the administration are taking action to bring price transparency to the healthcare system so we can access price information when it matters: ahead of time.
The administration’s latest and last rules would require hospitalsand insurersto share real net prices for healthcare services up front. Changes like this have the potential to dramatically change how Americans shop for and consume health care, because they’d infuse our system with transparency, information, competition, and accountability.
As is always the case in Washington, especially with regulatory changes, there are special interests that advocate for the status quo if the status quo serves them well. Naturally, there are hospitals and insurance companies who benefit from keeping patients in the dark. So some are even SUING the government for trying to actually infuse transparency into health care.
We cannot settle for the status quo any longer. This is our LAST chance to change the course of health care.
