Consumers Can Check Medical Prices, Quality Scores on New State Website
Source: Los Angeles Times
Lifting some of the secrecy surrounding California healthcare, state officials unveiled a website where consumers can look up average prices for common medical procedures — as well as quality scores for providers.
California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones, consumer advocates and researchers hailed the online tool launched Monday as the first step in prying more detailed prices from insurers, hospitals and doctors so patients facing high deductibles can find the best deal.
The healthcare industry has often resisted efforts at transparency, frustrating consumers, employers and government agencies paying the bills.
The California Healthcare Compare website is a collaboration among the state Department of Insurance, UC San Francisco and Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports. Those groups built the site using $3.9 million in federal grant money made available through the Affordable Care Act.
The information can be found at www.cahealthcarecompare.org.
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Consumers Can Check Medical Prices, Quality Scores on New State Website _ John & Rusty Report
Author: Ross Rogers
