The need for transparency
How much interest/frustration/yearning for more transparency in our health care system do Americans have? I “Googled” it.
“Transparency in health care.”
Here is just some of what I found:
Some of Hip Hop’s most well-known rappers — including Fat Joe, Busta Rhymes and Chuck D — joined to take part in a public service announcement that called for greater transparency and more affordability in health care. Congress has a proposal before its members. But the idea faces additional uncertainty with additional chaos in D.C. Leadership narrowly averted a partial government shutdown last week. House Republicans needed help from Democrats to pass a temporary 45-day funding plan after far-right members tried to force changes regarding spending, border security and funding to help Ukraine defend itself after Russia’s attack. And now, Florida’s Republican Representative Matt Gaetz is trying to force out Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, because of that agreement with Democrats.
North Carolina hospitals are the target of a new report that accuses them of marking up prices and failing to provide the necessary transparency for consumers.
Hospital leaders in New Hampshire took part in a discussion and said that technology could offer a pathway to increased transparency.
Those were just three items that came up but they gave me a sample of what others are discussing regarding this issue.
In a previous post, I mentioned that Eric Kohlsdorf, a Des Moines health benefits brokerage owner (who has recently become a national voice on health care reform), wants to engage people from all industries in non-partisan discussions on how to achieve more affordable, accessible health care with greater transparency.
Read more about Eric’s new role as president of the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals (NABIP).
I talked with Eric about the current challenges to transparency, why it matters and possible solutions. It’s the first part of what I want to become a continuing conversation about the future of health care with a variety of stakeholders.
You can watch the video of our conversation and add your thoughts about what aspect of health care we should talk about next. (Apologies that my video portion is not crystal clear. I’ve since upgraded our service, which should hopefully enhance the clarity).
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