The Catalyst for Payment Reform and the Health Care Incentives Improvement Institute have raised Oregon's grade for healthcare price transparency from an "F" to a "B."
The grade was part of the organizations' report card on price transparency laws across the United States.
For the report, the organizations used a 150-point scale, with 100 points available based on a state's price transparency laws and regulations. If pricing information was only available to consumers from providers, the state could earn 50 points based upon a number of factors, including the pricing information available and how the pricing information is disclosed.
If pricing information was available to consumers from payers via an all-payer claims database, the state earned 50 points based on the same factors that were considered if the information was only available directly from providers. States could also earn 50 points based on legislated price transparency websites.
Based on the rating criteria, Oregon was one of only four states to receive an "A" or "B" grade. Forty-three states earned an "F."
Oregon's improved grade was partly due to the state's transparency website, which allows users to search for and find data on healthcare in Oregon hospitals, such as patient experience, patient safety, financial and utilization data, median prices and cost estimates.
The Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems last year developed a new price transparency initiative. Part of that initiative was supporting legislation that called for a new state-run website displaying median prices paid for procedures at hospitals.
The Catalyst for Payment Reform and the Health Care Incentives Improvement Institute said Oregon can earn an even higher score "if the state collects practitioner prices in addition to facility prices and does so for a greater number of services and procedures."