Taxpayer advocates are applauding the Trump administration over its efforts calling for medical price transparency in federal employee health-care plans while health-care industry leaders are pushing back.
The Office of Personnel Management requested comments from industry leaders and health-care experts on transparency within claims data for federal employee health insurance plans.
Trent England, executive director of Save Our States, said the issue is significant for taxpayers because they pay for federal employees health-care benefits. He said the system is opaque and does not provide appropriate access to the most competitive prices in the market.
“Hospitals and other medical providers set their prices, and they benefit from the opacity,” England told The Center Square. “They benefit from the fact that it’s just hard to see.”
England said that open access to claims data could mean the difference between paying $20,000 or $12,000 for the same procedure.
The Trump administration’s pursuit of claims data from insurance companies could have an impact on private health-care insurers as well, England pointed out. He said hospitals across the country are starting to provide upfront cost assessments more often.
“We have to be able to ask the questions about why some things cost so much and other things cost so little,” England said.
