OKLAHOMA CITY – State Rep. Carol Bush (R-Tulsa) today secured unanimous passage of a bill that ensures price transparency to the public for common health care treatment options.
House Bill 3029 creates the Transparency in Health Care Prices Act and would require health care providers, groups and facilities to make health care prices available to the public for their 20 most commonly provided inpatient and outpatient services. The measure passed the House with a vote of 93-0.
“Someone needing health care services deserves to know the price they will pay for such treatment,” Bush said. “This bill is an effort to provide more transparency in our health care treatment system and to set up a basic structure for supplying such cost information to the Oklahoma consumer.”
Bush said the legislation is supported by the Oklahoma State Medical Association and was a request bill from three doctors that live in her district.
Health care price referenced in this measure means the cash price a provider, group or facility will charge a patient for standard services to be rendered. This pricing list shall be made available to the consumer by the provider, group or facility via their website or other conspicuous posting and must be updated annually. The health care cash price would not include any amount in the case of complications or exceptional treatment.
HB 3029 was co-authored in the House by State Reps. Lewis Moore (R-Arcadia), Andy Fugate (D-Oklahoma City), Robert Manger (R-Oklahoma City), Melissa Provenzano (D-Tulsa) and Dr. Randy Randleman (R-Eufaula).
The bill now moves to the State Senate where it is authored by Adam Pugh (R-Edmond).
The bill that scares me most is the hospital bill. I worked in individual health insurance as claims examiner –customer service. The hospital would bill the patient one price them renegotiated another price, which was more than a fourth or half the original bill. I know when the hospital or doctor signs up with the insurance company, there is a payment paid made up front. This was in the 1990’s. How it changed I do not know.