Coalition will work to improve price transparency
A new effort to drive cost transparency in healthcare comes in the form of a coalition of consumer advocacy organizations, drugmakers, insurers and providers that launched "Clear Choices."
Members of the coalition include AARP; Aetna; the American Academy of Family Physicians; the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association; the National Consumers League; the National Council for Behavioral Health; and Novo Nordisk.
The group aims to promote increased transparency of healthcare information, including claims data, quality metrics and lists of in-network providers and covered prescriptions, according to a release.
The coalition aims to secure the passage of the plan (HR 2) to permanently replace Medicare's sustainable growth rate formula--legislation that includes a provision to allow academics to analyze certain federal claims data to help determine which treatments are best for particular patients. "Freeing that data could empower us to save trillions and improve care," according to the group.
The coalition also plans to improve quality metrics and make sure patients have access to such data; require hospitals to provide more clarity about what is included in their cost estimates for particular procedures; launch better consumer tools for price, safety and quality comparisons; and improve how insurance exchanges detail provider and medication lists for certain health plans.
Editor
Editor Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in health communication. She has worked in hospital, academic and publishing settings over the past 20 years. Beth joined TriMed in 2005, as editor of CMIO and Clinical Innovation + Technology. When not covering all things related to health IT, she spends time with her husband and three children.