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Health care costs are at the heart of a Health News Florida reporting project called PriceCheck. It lets you search and contribute to a database of common medical procedures. We want to hear from you, but submitting information on our database. You also can email our reporters at pricecheck@wusf.org (Tampa Bay) or pricecheck@wlrnnews.org (South Florida).You can also call 877-496-6999 if you wish to provide information or share comments that you do not want made public on this forum.

Florida Hospital Association Rolls Out Transparency Website

Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.
The Florida Channel
Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.

The Florida Hospital Association has unveiled a new site dedicated to helping consumers understand costs. The website, MissionToCare.org, pulls information from both the state and federal governments to clear up the financial picture.

Governor Rick Scott has pushed for greater price transparency in hospitals, and two Florida lawmakers have filed bills relating to the issue. The state insurance advocate has also proposed ideas for cracking down on unexpected hospital bills. Now the Florida Hospital Association is out with a new site listing the prices for common procedures.

“On the search page, consumers can search by hospitals, and the individuals procedure or health condition such as cesarean section, high blood pressure or hip, ankle or knee procedures," said Kim Streit, the FHA's Vice President of Healthcare Research and Information.

The website, MissionToCare.org, gets its numbers from reports hospitals have to file with the state agency for healthcare Administration, as well as patient satisfaction data collected by the federal government.

“You could select up to three different hospitals to compare. What you would see is a side-by-side for the hospitals for each of those conditions…you can see how these hospitals compare based on that specific condition and health topic.”

Hospitals have been called out during the past year for what their critics, including the governor, say are inflated charges.

“Imagine how much more we’d pay for gas if gas stations gave us no information about the price they charge for gallon, after we’d purchased it.  Instead they just sent us a bill after the fact," said Republican Rep. Rob Bradley. He says consumers wouldn’t stand for that—and yet healthcare prices are shrouded in a cloud of confusion. He and fellow Republican Rep. Chris Spowls have laid out their plan for promoting cost transparency in hospitals.

“The real priority is to empower patients to be the consumer. That’s what we’re going to see drive quality in healthcare," Sprowls said.

The Duo’s proposal requires hospitals to post on their website information for bundled healthcare services and procedures and information about financial assistance if its available. FHA spokeswoman Monica Corbett says her associations website is different from what Sprowls and Bradley have put forward.

“It does not factor in the payment bundles or the database included in both proposals," she said. "We stand ready to work with lawmakers in the House and Senate to find the best approach to give patients meaningful information about the cost and quality of their healthcare. We believe there is room to find common ground on the legislation.”

Price continues to drive the conversation around healthcare in the state. Florida’s yearly healthcare tab is topping more than $20 billion and state economists have predicted an even larger price tag this year.

Copyright 2020 WFSU. To see more, visit WFSU.

Lynn Hatter is a Florida A&M University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Lynn has served as reporter/producer for WFSU since 2007 with education and health care issues as her key coverage areas. She is an award-winning member of the Capital Press Corps and has participated in the NPR Kaiser Health News Reporting Partnership and NPR Education Initiative. When she’s not working, Lynn spends her time watching sci-fi and action movies, writing her own books, going on long walks through the woods, traveling and exploring antique stores. Follow Lynn Hatter on Twitter: @HatterLynn.