President Follows Lipinski's Lead in Calling For
Hospital Price Transparency

Lipinski's legislation will better inform and empower consumers making health care decisions

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Congressman Dan Lipinski, the leader in Congress on hospital price transparency, called the Bush Administration's executive order requiring several federal agencies and departments to disclose hospital payment information "a critical part of any long-term solution to address health care access and affordability."

"I am thrilled to see provisions similar to my legislation are being implemented by the Administration to help empower heath care consumers with information," said Congressman Lipinski.  "By being able to compare different health care facilities, Americans will have more control over and greater confidence in their health care decisions."

Last year Congressman Lipinski introduced H.R. 3139, the Hospital Price Reporting and Disclosure Act, which would require hospitals to give consumers clear, concise information about what they charge for common procedures and medications.  In March, Congressman Lipinski testified before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health about his hospital price transparency legislation.

"As working families are spending more of their own money on health care services, they have a right to know how much different health care facilities charge," Lipinski said.  "Health care decisions are just too important to be left to chance.  Would anyone suggest that consumers make better purchasing decisions without price or performance comparisons?  Of course not.  When consumers start comparing health care facilities on costs, the facilities will respond accordingly, driving costs down and quality up."

"We all want more information available when making health care decisions and this executive order is a clear step in the right direction," continued Lipinski.  "Now it is time for Congress to act by passing the common-sense, bipartisan Hospital Price Disclosure Act, which would make health care price information for inpatient and outpatient procedures, as well as commonly administered medications, available to consumers on the Internet."