45 States Fail Healthcare Price Transparency Test

All but five states received a failing grade this year on the way they provide healthcare price transparency.

Authors of the second annual Report Card on State Price Transparency Laws say it offers policymakers, consumer advocates, and other healthcare stakeholders a comprehensive state-by-state resource on consumer access to price information for health services.

The report, developed by Catalyst for Payment Reform (CPR) and Health Care Incentives Improvement Institute (HCI3), takes a deeper look this year at public websites. Only two states received a B (Maine and Massachusetts), and no states earned an A, the report found. Colorado, Vermont and Virginia received a grade of C, and the remaining 45 states received a failing grade.

“Access to meaningful price information is more important than ever as consumers continue to take on a rising share of expenses,” said Suzanne Delbanco, executive director of CPR in a news release. “While many states have made progress, there’s still much more work to be done for the majority of residents in the United States to have access to essential information on the price of health care.”