Statement by Brad Ashwell, Consumer
Advocate with FloridaPIRG:
Today, Governor Crist signed
legislation (SB 1488) that will empower consumers by making more hospital price
information available to the public and by requiring hospitals to give the
uninsured automatic price estimates for planned
procedures.
“Governor Crist stood up for consumers and helped
Florida take
another step towards piercing the veil of price secrecy that permeates the
medical industry. Health care costs are rising at twice the rate of inflation.
Yet the public has little if any price information on any given procedure until
they receive their bill. This would not be tolerated in any other industry.
“This bill will ensure that Floridians who pay for
planned procedures out of their own pockets have more accurate hospital price
information and that the uninsured, who typically get charged top dollar for
procedures, receive an automatic price estimate.”
