DOJ Will Not Challenge Calif. Hospital Pricing Exchange Initiative
On Monday, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that it will not challenge a proposed initiative aimed at sharing cost information at more than 300 California hospitals, HealthLeaders Media reports.
The proposed Hospital Value Initiative aims to aggregate, analyze and distribute comparative data on reimbursements, as well as the resources California hospitals use to provide inpatient and outpatient care.Â
HVI is a joint venture by the:
- California Health Care Coalition;
- California Public Employees' Retirement System; and
- Pacific Business Group on Health.
According to DOJ, HVI's proposed pricing exchange is not anticompetitive because it would use information that is at least 10 months old and would not include any disaggregated data or specific service fees.
DOJ added that the proposal could help reduce costs by increasing competition among hospitals and helping group health care purchasers make more informed decisions (Commins, HealthLeaders Media, 4/26).
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