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?