Impact of public access to Calif. hospital charge sheets examined

About a month ago, hospitals in California were required to turn over digital copies of their charge sheets to the state in electronic form. The deadline is a result of a new state transparency law that went in effect in 2004, requiring hospitals to disclose their prices to customers. California residents can now obtain a CD-ROM containing the data for $10 from the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development. As anyone who's seen a hospital bill might guess, apparently customers are confused by the complex lists, known as chargemasters within the industry, and hospitals are worried that patients are misinterpreting the data. The North Coast Journal examines the controversy, interviewing Health Access California director Anthony Wright.

- see this story from the North Coast Journal