Washington lawmakers have passed two bills that will make more information about healthcare prices and quality available to consumers, according to a Seattle Times report.
Both bills are now on Gov. Jay Inslee's desk.
One is House Bill 2572, which would prompt the creation of a database that provides cost and quality information about physicians, clinics and hospitals throughout Washington. The bill includes provisions for improving mental-health services for low-income residents as well, and for taking action on a plan to reduce healthcare costs in the state.
Under the bill, the database is limited to the healthcare prices paid by plans covering state employees and Medicaid, according to the report. Large companies such as Boeing and Microsoft, which self-insure, could voluntarily share their cost data.
The legislation came at the request of Gov. Inslee. Washington state has been working to further healthcare transparency in the past year. Last fall, for instance, the Washington Healthcare Authority announced it received a two-year, $3.4 million federal grant to develop a cost and performance database, according to the report.
The other bill on the governor's desk is Senate Bill 6228, which would require insurance companies to provide customers with a cost- and quality-comparison tool for healthcare procedures. The hope is that this information will help patients choose the less expensive option.
Some, but not all, insurance companies already have price searches on their websites, according to the report. Some of these searches are still difficult to find and may contain information for a limited number of procedures. They also don't always provide quality information alongside costs, according to the report.
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