(The Center Square) - Taxpayer advocates are applauding the Trump administration over its efforts calling for medical price transparency in federal employee health-care plans while health-care industry leaders are pushing back.
The Office of Personnel Management requested comments from industry leaders and health-care experts on transparency within claims data for federal employee health insurance plans.
kAm%C6?E t?8=2?5[ 6I64FE:G6 5:C64E@C @7 $2G6 ~FC $E2E6D[ D2:5 E96 :DDF6 :D D:8?:7:42?E 7@C E2IA2J6CD 3642FD6 E96J A2J 7@C 7656C2= 6>A=@J66D 962=E9\42C6 36?67:ED] w6 D2:5 E96 DJDE6> :D @A2BF6 2?5 5@6D ?@E AC@G:56 2AAC@AC:2E6 2446DD E@ E96 >@DE 4@>A6E:E:G6 AC:46D :? E96 >2C<6E]k^Am
kAm“w@DA:E2=D 2?5 @E96C >65:42= AC@G:56CD D6E E96:C AC:46D[ 2?5 E96J 36?67:E 7C@> E96 @A24:EJ[” t?8=2?5 E@=5 %96 r6?E6C $BF2C6] “%96J 36?67:E 7C@> E96 724E E92E :E’D ;FDE 92C5 E@ D66]”k^Am
kAmt?8=2?5 D2:5 E92E @A6? 2446DD E@ 4=2:>D 52E2 4@F=5 >62? E96 5:776C6?46 36EH66? A2J:?8 Sa_[___ @C S`a[___ 7@C E96 D2>6 AC@465FC6]k^Am
kAm%96 %CF>A 25>:?:DEC2E:@?’D AFCDF:E @7 4=2:>D 52E2 7C@> :?DFC2?46 4@>A2?:6D 4@F=5 92G6 2? :>A24E @? AC:G2E6 962=E9\42C6 :?DFC6CD 2D H6==[ t?8=2?5 A@:?E65 @FE] w6 D2:5 9@DA:E2=D 24C@DD E96 4@F?ECJ 2C6 DE2CE:?8 E@ AC@G:56 FA7C@?E 4@DE 2DD6DD>6?ED >@C6 @7E6?]k^Am
kAm“(6 92G6 E@ 36 23=6 E@ 2D< E96 BF6DE:@?D 23@FE H9J D@>6 E9:?8D 4@DE D@ >F49 2?5 @E96C E9:?8D 4@DE D@ =:EE=6[” t?8=2?5 D2:5]k^Am
kAmp?5C6H qC6>36C8[ 7@C>6C 5:C64E@C @7 E96 s@>6DE:4 !@=:4J r@F?4:= :? E96 7:CDE %CF>A 25>:?:DEC2E:@?[ 2AA=2F565 ~!|’D 677@CED E@ AFCDF6 AC:46 EC2?DA2C6?4J 7@C 7656C2= H@C<6C :?DFC2?46 A=2?D]k^Am
kAm“xE’D G:E2= E92E ~!| 86E E9:D 4=2:>D 52E2 D@ E96J 42? 56E64E 7C2F5 2?5 7:89E 324< 282:?DE :E[” qC6>36C8 E@=5 %96 r6?E6C $BF2C6]k^Am
kAmw6 D2:5 E96 H@C< :? 962=E9\42C6 AC:46 EC2?DA2C6?4J 92D 366? @?8@:?8 D:?46 E96 7:CDE %CF>A 25>:?:DEC2E:@?] qC6>36C8 A@:?E65 E@ 2 C646?E kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^?6H;6CD6J>@?:E@C]4@>^a_ad^``^`c^9@C:K@?\D6EE=6>6?E\?6H\;6CD6J^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmD6EE=6>6?Ek^2m k^DEC@?8m7C@> w@C:K@? q=F6 rC@DD q=F6 $9:6=5 @7 }6H y6CD6J]k^Am
kAm%96 :?DFC2?46 AC@G:56C 28C665 E@ A2J S`__ >:==:@? :? }@G6>36C E@ C6D@=G6 4=2:>D E92E :E @G6C492C865 E96 A=2? :? @C56C E@ D64FC6 2 4@?EC24E E@ >2?286 }6H y6CD6J’D AF3=:4 6>A=@J66 962=E9 A=2?D]k^Am
kAm“%96 962=E9 A=2? H2D A2J:?8 @FE 4=2:>D FD:?8 E2IA2J6CD’ >@?6J[ ?@E E96:C >@?6J[” qC6>36C8 D2:5] “%96 E2IA2J6CD’ >@?6J H2D A2J:?8 @FE 4=2:>D 2E 2 9:896C 2>@F?E E92? H92E E96 AC@G:56C 925 6G6? 3:==65]”k^Am
kAm%96 :?DFC2?46 4@>A2?J DF3>:EE65 >@C6 E92? `[___ 72=D6 4=2:>D E@ E96 DE2E6 2?5 FD65 7C2F5F=6?E C64@C5D E@ DFAA@CE E96>[ 244@C5:?8 E@ }6H y6CD6J AC@D64FE@CD] w@C:K@? C646:G65 ?62C=J Sd__ >:==:@? 24C@DD 7:G6 J62CD F?56C :ED 4@?EC24E H:E9 }6H y6CD6J 5F6 E@ >:DC6AC6D6?E:?8 4=2:>D 52E2 2?5 492C8:?8 9:896C 2>@F?ED E92? :E H2D 2==@H65]k^Am
kAmx?4C62D:?8=J[ E9:C5\A2CEJ A2J DJDE6>D 92G6 364@>6 4@>>@? :? 962=E9 42C6] %96D6 6?E:E:6D >2?286 52:=J C6DA@?D:3:=:E:6D 7@C D6=7\:?DFC65 6>A=@J6C 962=E9 A=2?D] w@H6G6C[ t?8=2?5 D2:5 E96D6 962=E9\42C6 >@56=D =625 E@ =6DD EC2?DA2C6?4J :? E96 >2C<6E]k^Am
kAm“!@=:E:4:2?D 92G6 4@??65 A6@A=6 :?E@ E9:?<:?8 962=E9 42C6 :D E@@ :>A@CE2?E E@ 36 =67E E@ E96 >2C<6E[ 2?5 :E’D ;FDE E96 @AA@D:E6[” t?8=2?5 D2:5] “w62=E9 42C6 :D E@@ :>A@CE2?E E@ 36 =67E E@ A@=:E:4:2?D]”k^Am
kAmx?5FDECJ =6256CD 92G6 AFD965 324< 282:?DE E96 %CF>A 25>:?:DEC2E:@?’D AFCDF:E @7 4=2:>D 52E2] $6G6C2= =6256CD 92G6 2C8F65 E92E H:56DAC625 AF3=:42E:@? @7 4=2:>D 52E2 4@F=5 G:@=2E6 A2E:6?E AC:G24J]k^Am
kAmt?8=2?5 24<?@H=65865 4@?46C?D 23@FE AC:G24J 3FE A@:?E65 @FE E92E E96 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E :D 6?ECFDE65 H:E9 =2C86 2>@F?ED @7 52E2 2=C625J] w6 FC865 :?5:G:5F2=D 4@?46C?65 23@FE 52E2 D92C:?8 E@ ECFDE E96 8@G6C?>6?E]k^Am
kAm“%96J 5@?’E H2?E E96D6 BF6DE:@?D 36:?8 2D<65 3642FD6 :E 86ED G6CJ 2H<H2C5 7@C D@>6 @7 E96D6 962=E9\42C6 AC@G:56CD E92E 492C86 72C >@C6 E92? E96 2G6C286 AC:46D 7@C D@>6 @7 E96D6 AC@465FC6D[” t?8=2?5 D2:5]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 ~!|’D 24E:@?D 2C6 DEC:4E=J E2C86E65 E@ u656C2= t>A=@J66D w62=E9 q6?67:ED 2?5 !@DE2= $6CG:46 w62=E9 q6?67:ED[ t?8=2?5 D2:5 E96J 4@F=5 92G6 2 C:AA=6 67764E @? E96 AC:G2E6 962=E9\42C6 :?5FDECJ]k^Am
kAm“%9:D <:?5 @7 52E2\5C:G6? 244@F?E23:=:EJ D9@F=5 36 E96 DE2?52C5 24C@DD 3@E9 AF3=:4 2?5 AC:G2E6 962=E9 DJDE6>D 2?5 :D 4C:E:42= E@ >2<:?8 6G:56?46\32D65 C67@C>D[” qC6>36C8 D2:5] “(6 42? 2?5 >FDE AC@E64E A2E:6?E AC:G24J[ 3FE C6;64E:?8 2446DD E@ 4=2:>D 52E2 @FEC:89E H@F=5 F?56C>:?6 @?6 @7 E96 >@DE 67764E:G6 E@@=D 2G2:=23=6 E@ :>AC@G6 277@C523:=:EJ 2?5 DJDE6> :?E68C:EJ]”k^Am
