HEALTH
CARE CONSUMERS RIGHT TO KNOW ACT:
AN
IDEA THAT JUST MAKES SENSE
March
8, 2004
Comparing prices on services
we pay for is something we all do almost on a daily basis. It’s just
the “American” way of doing things. In your business you may want to make sure the computers you buy
or lease are the best deal possible. You may even compare prices on the temp agencies you use for
personnel. In our personal
lives we do it when we get our car repaired, taxes done and certainly
for things like mortgage rates. Then
doesn’t it make sense that you would want to be able to see what
medical procedures are going to cost you to have done at various
hospitals, and how that cost may compare
with other hospitals?
When you think about it,
short of some kind of elective procedure, we almost never ask the price
of our health care. Frankly,
even if you did ask, you probably couldn’t get the answer, or at least
one you understood. No
wonder healthcare costs are among the most critical issue facing
Floridians today. No one has
the ability to see what each hospital is going to charge for their
services as compared to other hospitals. Well, finally there is a proposal that could change that.
It is called the Health Care
Consumers Right to Know Act, or "HealthCheck" (HB 701) and would require the State of
Florida to make the price and performance data it already collects on Florida’s hospitals and outpatient facilities available to the public on the
internet. Associated Industries of Florida (AIF) thinks this is such a
great idea that we have joined a group called, "HealthCheck" (www.flhealthcheck.org), an advocacy coalition of organizations that are supporting this effort
and will be lobbying the Florida Legislature to pass this concept into
law.
In addition to disclosure of
price and performance data, the bill (HB 701) also protects consumers from unfair facility charges for
undisclosed, non-emergency care, and gives consumers the ability to
audit their health care bills and patient records. In addition, HB 701 requires a 30-day notice of price changes and
requires disclosure of consumer alternatives.
Features of the Health Consumers Right To Know Act
- Estimated
services and charges prior to treatment
- Average
patient charges for the top 100 procedures
- Retail
price list
- Average
length of stay
- Readmission
rates
- Mortality
rates
- Infection
rates
- Whether
computerized drug order entry systems are used to prevent medical
errors
What a great idea; allow the
citizens of Florida to make better informed choices about where they get
their care and how their health care dollars are spent. However, even though without this bill there is virtually no
price or performance information readily available, there will be stiff
opposition from some to keep this great idea from becoming law.
That is why AIF, along with
its "HealthCheck" partners, will be letting the Legislature know that AIF
supports giving Florida’s health care consumers the means to make educated decisions
regarding their medical care.
You can follow the status of
this and other important business issues during the 2004 Session through
our “Daily Brief” and “Weekly Report” informational services. |
