Transparency Update

Health care provider price and quality transparency is a major Administration goal and a component of the President’s August 22, 2006, Executive Order. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management which administers the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program has explained its Executive Order implementation approach:

Transparency in pricing. OPM will work with carriers to make available to
FEHBP enrollees information about the cost of services delivered by various
providers. This information will be combined with quality information so that
enrollees can see quality and price information together in single, easy-to-use
sources.

Transparency in quality. OPM will work with carriers to make available
information on the performance of doctors, hospitals and other health care
providers. They will use quality measures that have been developed
collaboratively with the health care sector, to help ensure accuracy and
fairness.

OPM announced this week the FEHB plans which were the first to meet its transparency standards:

Aetna Health Plans, American Postal Workers Union consumer-driven, Av-Med,
Blue Choice for Ohio and Missouri, Blue HMO of Ohio, CaliforniaCare,
CareFirst BlueChoice, Foreign Service Benefit Plan, HealthNet of California,
HMO Health of Ohio, Humana Health Plans, Independent Health, Kaiser for
California, Colorado and Northwest regions, M-Care, Rural Letter Carriers
Health Plan, SuperMed HMO and United Healthcare.