Hospital Voice - Summer/Fall 2016

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THE INFORMED PATIENT
Website helps patients get a clearer view of hospital prices
Hospitals understand that patients want information about prices in advance of care.
For that reason, not only has every Oregon hospital
committed to providing a cost estimate for hospital services
within three business days, they have also begun putting
their price data online. These two proactive endeavors are
aimed at giving Oregonians as much information about
potential costs as is possible.
The hospital transparency website
Guide.org features a “Cost Estimates” and a “Procedure
Costs” section for each hospital in the state. The cost
estimates section provides comprehensive information for
consumers to contact a hospital’s cost estimate and billing
department. It also links directly to each hospital’s financial
assistance policy, which can be helpful for people who need
help paying their bill.
Meanwhile, the “procedure costs” data displayed on the
website is the result of proactive work by OAHHS to pass
legislation mandating the state produce these data points
from its “All Payer All Claims Database.” The procedure cost
data shows users what the median price paid by commercial
insurers for common inpatient and outpatient procedures at
each hospital in the state. It also gives the statewide median
price for each procedure.
“Oregon’s community hospitals are proud to lead our state
toward a more transparent health care system, starting with
a clear picture of prices paid for procedures in their facilities.
And, when coupled with the corresponding commitment
to provide a good faith estimate for the cost of a procedure,
every Oregonian, whether insured, uninsured, or out-of-
network can get the financial information they need to
make better health care decisions for themselves and their
families,” said Andy Davidson, OAHHS President and CEO.
“We are very proud of this pro-consumer commitment by
Oregon hospitals.”
In addition to this new information, the website, which
launched in March of 2015, also provides searchable,
comparable quality of care data for every hospital in the
state, as well as hospital financial and utilization data—all
of which patients can use to learn about their local
community hospital.
Oregon Makes the Grade
Due in large part to the legislation the Oregon Association
of Hospitals and Health Systems sponsored in 2015, Oregon
has received a health care transparency rating of “B” in
The 2016 Report Card on State Price Transparency Laws,
developed by the Health Care Incentives Improvement
Institute and Catalyst for Payment Reform. In every
previous edition of the scorecard, Oregon had received an
“F” along with most other states in the nation. Now Oregon
is one of seven states that receive above a failing grade, and
is one of only one of four which get an “A” or a “B.”
“Oregon is a model for how strong vision and leadership can
help under-performing states move rapidly up the ratings,”
said Suzanne Delbanco, executive director of Catalyst for
Payment Reform. “We are pleased to see Oregon getting the
recognition it deserves for providing crucial information to
consumers who want spend their health care dollars wisely.”
To read the report, visit .
“We commend Oregon hospitals for their accomplishments
and for their commitment to improving price transparency,”
said Healthcare Financial Management Association
President and CEO Joseph J. Fifer, FHFMA, CPA. “Oregon is
among the first hospital associations in the nation to adopt
the recommendations in the HFMA Price Transparency Task
Force Report, which reflect the industry consensus on price
and quality transparency.” H