Ohio, 42 other states get ‘F’ for healthcare price transparency

Ohio is one of 43 states that were given an F for healthcare price transparency in a new national scorecard (Source: “Price transparency eludes consumers in 43 states,” Modern Healthcare, July 26, 2016).

Just seven states achieved a passing grade for making usable healthcare price information available to consumers, a new study finds. The other 43 states failed at price transparency because they didn't collect claims data from all payers or they failed to make the data accessible to the public through a website, according to the 2016 Report Card on State Price Transparency Laws.

The report is the fourth installment by the Health Care Incentives Improvement Institute and Catalyst for Payment Reform, two independent health policy organizations. The report is meant to be a state-by-state resource that shows policymakers, health providers and consumers how states are progressing at price transparency.

"Many states have the laws on their books requiring the release of health care price information, but score poorly because of the design and implementation of those laws," said co-author Suzanne Delbanco, CPR executive director.

Three states received A grades. This year Colorado and Maine joined New Hampshire as top performers due to “the increased quality of their reporting and transparency websites.” Oregon made the most progress, jumping to a B grade from an F the previous year. Vermont and Virginia received C grades and Arkansas a D. The rest were failing grades.