GOP Deductibles Too High to Legally Exist

Harshaw said:

You do have a real way of knowing. You can call and ask.

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BOSTON — Learning the price of a medical procedure from Massachusetts health care providers remains "a daunting and frustrating experience" that "reflects poorly on the commonwealth's providers and regulators," the Pioneer Institute found in a new report on hospital pricing transparency and variation.

The report is a follow-up to a 2015 survey that sought to ascertain prices of an MRI of the left knee at 22 of the state's 66 acute care hospitals and 10 free-standing clinics. That initial survey found that, despite laws to increase pricing transparency, consumers still had to jump through hoops to find out how much they would pay for a medical procedure.

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Lawmakers in 2012 passed a law that took effect in 2014 requiring hospitals, physicians, and clinics to provide prospective patients with prices for a medical procedure within two days. Insurance companies are required to provide the data online in real time.

Of the 21 hospitals surveyed last year, nine provided Pioneer Institute researchers with the cost of the procedure within the statutorily-required two days and 12 took longer than allowed by law.

"Deductibles can range from $1,500 to more than $7,000. Given that reality, access to price information is more important than ever before," Pioneer Senior Fellow in Healthcare Policy Barbara Anthony, the report's co-author, said in a statement. "This survey once again demonstrates how frustrating and time consuming it is for the average consumer to obtain a price quote."

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