Madison – Representative Jimmy Anderson (D – Fitchburg) introduced nine bills to increase transparency and affordability in Wisconsin’s healthcare system. He released the following statement:
“The high cost and extreme complexity of the healthcare system often deter people from seeking the care they need. The nine bills in my Healthcare Transparency package will hold hospitals and insurance companies accountable by ensuring medical cost transparency and eliminating surprise charges.
Under our current healthcare system, many patients feel forced to save money by rationing life-saving prescription medications or driving themselves to the hospital instead of calling 911. My bills would ensure that patients have the information they need to make the right healthcare decisions for themselves and their families, without being inundated with inscrutable insurance policies or hit with unexpected bills.
For instance, LRB-6233 would make insurance companies responsible for communicating which healthcare providers are in and out of their networks, eliminating needlessly complicated work for plan holders. LRB-6229 would require hospitals to provide each patient with a plain-language itemized bill, ensuring that all patients can understand their medical expenses. LRB-6234 would institute a strict approval process for large insurance rate increases, and LRB 6232 would help patients determine the costs of medical care before making treatment decisions.
The healthcare system should not be allowed to profit by burdening patients with complex and obscure practices when they are at their most vulnerable.”
