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Premier strongly supports transparency in healthcare pricing and efforts to help consumers understand what share of the cost they will shoulder for their care. While well-intended, CMS’ policy to require hospitals to post standard charges, gross charges and payer-negotiated rates will do little, if anything, to provide patients with this information. Moreover, we are concerned that CMS lacks the statutory authority to implement this policy, which means that this issue will be tied up in the courts when more important and productive progress could be made.
We urge HHS to, instead, speed the movement to alternative payment models (APMs) and provider access to claims data. When providers are accountable for the cost and quality of care, the market will force transparent competition around price and outcomes. This is the goal the President’s Executive Order seeks to achieve.
Moreover, to succeed in APMs, providers need access to claims data. HHS needs to take steps to encourage Medicare Advantage plans to make this claims data available to providers in APMs.
By taking these steps, the administration will inspire competition around price and quality and thereby achieve its goal.
Premier Inc. (NASDAQ: PINC) is a leading healthcare improvement company, uniting an alliance of more than 4,000 U.S. hospitals and health systems and approximately 175,000 other providers and organizations to transform healthcare. With integrated data and analytics, collaboratives, supply chain solutions, and consulting and other services, Premier enables better care and outcomes at a lower cost. Premier plays a critical role in the rapidly evolving healthcare industry, collaborating with members to co-develop long-term innovations that reinvent and improve the way care is delivered to patients nationwide. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Premier is passionate about transforming American healthcare. Please visit Premier’s news and investor sites on www.premierinc.com; as well as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram and Premier’s blog for more information about the company.
Contact: Public_Relations@premierinc.com