Health care is that rare marketplace where neither the person ordering a service (the doctor) nor the person consuming it (the patient) is conscious of the price. Proponents of greater transparency believe that changing this dynamic is essential to reining in spending and bringing greater value.

CHCF held a Sacramento briefing to explore the state of pricing transparency, provide examples of effective practices for sharing price information, and cover potential strategies for driving transparency forward in California.

The topics include:

• Who are the different audiences for price information, and what does each need?
• Does the sharing of retail prices for care (gross charges) matter in a world of heavily discounted prices?
• Could greater openness actually drive up prices?
• What can we learn from other states about price transparency?

Speakers include:

• Adams Dudley, MD, MBA, professor of medicine and policy, Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California, San Francisco
• Maribeth Shannon, MSHA, director of Market and Policy Monitor program, CHCF
• Jill Yegian, PhD, vice president of policy and research, Integrated Healthcare Association

A recording of the event and the presentation slides are available below.