It seems that every week we hear about a state or insurer that's taking steps toward increasing transparency. This week's offering comes from Aetna, which announced that it will report the cost of 30 common procedures in the Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia area. The information will be available to consumers on Aetna's Web site and quality ratings will also be available for providers of 12 different specialties. Aetna's Web site is a step in the right direction but critics say that the insurer could still provide more information. According to two recent Chicago Tribune articles [1], great transparency in the healthcare system is necessary if CDHPs are ever going to become a reality.
For details on Aetna's pricing and quality data:
- check out this Washington Post piece [2]
Related Articles:
Ohio expands hospital reporting. Article [3]
Is transparency still the answer? Report [4]
PLUS: CMS announced that it is making Medicare payment information available for 61 procedures performed in ambulatory surgery centers. Release [5]
Links:
[1] http://fiercehealthcare.com/story/pricing-issues-make-cdhps-problematic/2006-08-10
[2] http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/21/AR2006082101103.html
[3] http://fiercehealthcare.com/story/ohio-expands-hospital-reporting/2006-08-11
[4] http://fiercehealthcare.com/story/reassessing-healthcare-transparency/2006-08-17
[5] http://www.cms.hhs.gov/apps/media/press/release.asp?Counter=1948