Hospital Price Transparency Workgroup
As a result of a January 2014 report to the Legislature on hospital price transparency, AHCCCS and the Arizona Department of Health Services established a workgroup of hospital representatives. The Hospital Price Transparency Workgroup will discuss ways to improve the availability of hospital price and quality information in a format that is useful to consumers. Findings of this workgroup will be included in a January 2015 report to the Governor and Legislature.
Hospital Price Transparency Workgroup Materials, July 23, 2014
Hospital Price Transparency Workgroup Materials April 25, 2014
- Agenda
- Overview of ADHS Available Information
- Hospital Chargemaster Discussion
- ADHS/AHCCCS 2014 Report Recommendations
Hospital Chargemaster Transparency Report, January 2014
Laws 2013, First Special Session, Chapter 10, Section 37, required the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) and the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) to report on hospital charge master transparency. Specifically, Section 37 required:
On or before January 1, 2014, the director of the Arizona health care cost containment system administration and the director of the department of health services shall submit a joint report on hospital charge master transparency to the governor, speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the senate and shall provide a copy to the secretary of state. The report shall provide a summary of the current charge master reporting process, a summary of hospital billed charges compared to costs and examples of how charge masters or hospital prices are reported and used in other states. The report shall include recommendations to improve the state's use of hospital charge master information, including reporting and oversight changes.
Full Report: Hospital Chargemaster Transparency Report.
Additional Resources
AHCCCS Payment ModernizationAHCCCS Transparency
AZ Hospital Compare
AZ Hospital Compare, provided by the Arizona Department of Health Services, offers hospital quality assessment metrics through publicly available data.
Continual Learning Process
Major US Health Plans Agree to Give Consumers Free Access to Timely Information About Health Care Prices to Foster Greater TransparencyReport from the HFMA Price Transparency Task Force April 2014
Catalyst for Payment Reform and Health Care Incentives’ 2013 Report Card on State Price Transparency Laws
