Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Letter to the editor:

People deserve clear pricing

Congress and the administration have recently appeared to acknowledge health care consumers’ concerns with hearings about surprise billing and rising health care costs. However, Americans across the board agree that more needs to be done. No matter their income level, age, gender, race, or political identification, Americans are almost universally worried about health care costs, according to new data from Ipsos-Consumers for Quality Care.

Consumers want peace of mind when paying for health care. When given a choice, 81 percent are willing to pay more each month for a health plan with comprehensive coverage and minimal fees when they need treatments. This sentiment stems from worries about complex medical bills, surprise billing and a lack of price transparency within the system. Ninety-one percent of Americans are concerned about receiving surprise bills from hospitals, and 65 percent say it’s difficult to understand the cost of care at a hospital.

These concerns highlight the fact that consumers want policymakers to take tangible steps toward implementing bipartisan solutions, rather than paying lip service to the issue. Consumers for Quality Care’s Negotiator’s Guide was developed with that in mind and to provide policymakers with a better understanding of consumer priorities. We urge policymakers to listen to consumers and enact solutions that give Americans certainty about receiving quality and affordable health care.

The writer is a board member for Consumers for Quality Care.