CT earns an F on heath price transparency laws, again

CT joined all but five states nationally earning an F grade for public reporting of health prices according to Catalyst for Health Care Reform’s 2015 Report Card on State Price Transparency Laws. The report assesses state laws, regulations and public websites to make health care prices public, allowing consumers to base purchasing decisions on the value of care. CT should move up in the ranks next year with passage of SB-811 this session which includes several provisions to promote health care price and quality transparency. Three of the five states that earned better grades are neighbors -- Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. New Hampshire moved from an F in 2014 to earn the only A this year by publishing NH Health Cost, a consumer-friendly price transparency website. The authors suggest that other states, like CT, use NH Health Cost as a best practice model.