I came across a gem this weekend about how health care transparency reform is hard to pass even when one party controls the entire state. Now keep in mind, the headline is very misleading. Republicans in Arizona are not responsible for those charges, but it is interesting that in a very red state where Republicans control both houses and the Governor’s office, reform on this level cannot be passed. It all comes down to the lobbyists. Regular people often are either ignorant of their power, or just plain out right ignore them. The problem is that lobbyists are the reason something as simple as a bill that requires a business to post a price-list of their top 50 procedures is shot down.
My favorite part was the bit about how if doctors and hospitals were forced to post prices it would confuse patients. “One physician that was there, representing the Mayo Clinic, claimed that disclosing prices would confuse patients since they might choose cost over quality.” Gotta love it!
What do you think? Should hospitals and doctors be forced to provide a price-list for their most common procedures?
