Talk Radio News Service: News, Politics, Media

By Antonia Aguilar
University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

Rep. Steve Kagen (D-Wisc.) said Thursday that initiating price transparency within the health care marketplace will generate competition, driving quality up and prices down.

Kagen's remarks came during testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Health.

“Doing so will...[allow] families to find the essential information necessary to make their health care decisions based upon the quality, the price and the service of available caregivers within their hometown area and even across the nation," said Kagen.

Kagen affirmed his support for the recently introduced, Transparency in All Health Care Pricing Act of 2010. The bill would require all medical service and product providers to publicly disclose the overall price for all services rendered. Kagen likened the bill to the traditional formality at restaurants where the customer knows in advance the description and price of a meal before ordering.

“A foot-long sandwich costs you $5 no matter what you decide to put into it,” he said. “If the owners of Subway can figure out how to make money by “lumping” their prices, so can our nation’s hospitals.”