Some Federal Programs Will Disclose Medical Payment Information
As expected, federal health programs soon will begin releasing prices they pay to hospitals and physicians for common medical procedures, HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt announced Tuesday, the Los Angeles Times reports (Los Angeles Times, 3/15).
Speaking at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, Leavitt said Medicare, Medicaid and the Department of Defense will compile information on the 20 most common health care procedures (Vesely, Oakland Tribune, 3/15). The information will be posted on the Medicare Web site (Los Angeles Times, 3/15).
Leavitt in the coming months will meet with the nation's largest purchasers of health care, including private employers, and encourage them to seek quality and price transparency from hospitals and other health care providers (Oakland Tribune, 3/15).