Calling for Transparency in Health Care Costs

Seeking ways to lower health care costs, Senate Republicans formed a bipartisan committee following the 2017 Legislative Session to study the issue throughout the interim. Those meetings resulted in a handful of legislative proposals unveiled at a State Capitol press conference Thursday, April 12.

The proposed legislation is intended to engage consumers more directly with the costs of health care services and procedures. Senator Scott Jensen, R-Chaska, chair of the Select Committee on Consumer Access and Affordability, is author of two measures. The first would require providers to post transparent prices for the most common procedures. The second measure would allow pharmacists to alert consumers when a prescription would be cheaper without using insurance. "Today is one step, it's one step towards helping patients be their own best champion, because patients can and should be their own best champion," he said.

Senator Rich Draheim, R-Madison Lake, also put forward two bills that would increase transparency in pricing. One would require providers and insurers to provide a good faith estimate of total health care costs, and the other would mandate disclosure of hidden facility fees. "We are accustomed to quickly comparing prices for any product...I see no reason why health care should be any different," he said.