Oregon hospitals took a step toward improved price transparency Wednesday when hospitals promised to provide patients with cost estimates within three days of scheduling a medical procedure, reports The Oregonian.
The initiative aims to give uninsured patients and those who are out-of-network a better idea of what the procedure will cost and prepare them for financial obligations. Each hospital in Oregon has agreed to provide estimates in three days.
Oregon is among the first states in the country to adopt a state-wide cost estimates policy, Richard Gundling, senior vice president of the Healthcare Financial Management Association, told The Oregonian.
The Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems has launched a cost-estimates section on the Oregon Hospital Guide website to help patients find contact information for hospital billing departments.