In 2012, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick signed legislation that made additional changes to the state’s progressive health system. For example, health plans must provide consumers access to provider-specific estimates of cost-sharing for procedures, hospital admissions and other data so people can expect what to pay out of pocket.
The Mass Insight Survey Research Group unveiled a study today, detailing how Massachusetts patients currently view the affordability of their healthcare and overall cost transparency. Here are some major findings from the survey:
• About 89 percent of respondents said it is important to know how much medical care will cost ahead of time.
• More than 70 percent of Massachusetts consumers are currently able to obtain “useful information” on how much their out-of-pocket costs will be.
• Two-thirds said if they had the option to compare prices of different hospitals and physicians, it would affect their healthcare decisions.
• Almost 80 percent of respondents said they would like to have access to a website that can compare varying hospital and physician costs.
More Articles on Healthcare Price Transparency:
Price Transparency: Why It’s an Issue & Where Hospitals Fit in
Bill Requiring North Carolina Hospitals to Post Prices Passes Senate Committee
4 Recent Events That Have Changed How Consumers View Healthcare
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