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Bush issues order for healthcare pricing transparency

Ambulatory Surgery Reimbursement Update, September 1, 2006

President Bush issued an executive order to federal agencies providing healthcare coverage that requires them to make quality and pricing information more complete and available to the general public, according to a press release from The Department of Health & Human Services (HHS).

"People deserve to know what their health care costs, how good it is, and the choices available to them," said Mike Leavitt, HHS Secretary, according to the release. "The President's action today is a major step forward in giving consumers easy-to-use information about the quality and price of their health care. This is fundamental to achieving a health care system that delivers good value."

Bush said he hopes the order will trigger similar efforts from state and local governments, as well as the private sector.

According to the press release, the order requires the sharing of information about the quality of care delivered by providers, as well as the prices paid to them. It also "requires agencies and their healthcare contractors to promote the use of interoperable health information technology products, so that data can be easily shared." Finally, "it requires agencies to offer insurance options that reward consumers who exercise choice among health providers based on value and quality of care."

To read the release, click here.

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