SCHA Price Transparency Task Force Report by Task Force Chair Bill Manson

July 22, 2014

SCHA Price Transparency Task Force

Devoted the last year to studying transparency efforts in other states and monitoring and responding to SC DHHS transparency efforts.

Recommends that SCHA work as quickly as practical to develop a consumer-oriented, SCHA-sponsored pricing and public education website.

Participation by hospitals would be voluntary, but critical to success.

SC DHHS will soon release charge data

Plans to include charge and payment data for Medicaid and State Employees side by side.

No indication that profitability data will be cleaned up.

Continue to upload entire documents without explanations (i.e. 990 forms, tax returns, Medicare cost report).

Has changed focus from consumer to policymakers and media.

This is just the beginning of transparency efforts at state agency.

SC DHHS charge/payment info will not be for consumers

SC DHHS uses brief commentaries to share important information

Task Force recommends Price Point

SCHA can work with the Wisconsin Hospital Association to build and maintain SC website, using Price Point.

Wisconsin’s Price Point is used in 12 states. (Wisconsin, Oregon, Texas, Washington, Oklahoma, Virginia, Montana, Nebraska,

Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Wyoming)

Wisconsin updates the data quarterly.

Much more affordable than building a custom site.

Tested and proven by several other states.

There is a group of Price Point users that share best practices and trouble shoot as a group.

Coming soon to Price Point

More updated format, which SC can help develop.

Cost estimator for consumers.

Possible to add average payment information, compared to average charges.

Recommended info for SCHA website average charges and number of cases for select number

of frequently billed DRG or CPT codes

audited, consolidated financial statements of hospitals to accurately show profitability

charity and bad debt numbers by hospital

payer mix for each hospital

links to hospital policies regarding financial assistance

general consumer information about the health care system

information on where to go for help in finding insurance

Hospital support is critical to getting timely and accurate information to South Carolinians in a way that will help them understand the health care system and enable them to make better decisions for themselves.

Will your hospital support SCHA’s transparency initiative?