An industry sea change could occur if lawmakers follow through on making hospitals’ and insurers’ negotiated rates more transparent. A proposed ban on contractual “gag” language between doctors and health plans that hides cost and quality data has been included in a bipartisan House-Senate measure to end unexpected high medical bills. The transparency requirement would mark a “paradigm shift in the way that we deliver health care and in the way that health care is paid for” and would let employers make better decisions on quality and cost, a top Senate health committee aide said recently.
Outcome Disparity: The transparency ...