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Oklahoma
State Senate
Communications Division
State Capitol
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73105
For Immediate Release: January 26, 2011
Sen. Bill Brown
Sen. Brown says transparency bill will reduce medical cost for Oklahomans
Sen. Bill Brown has introduced legislation to help Oklahomans see
exactly what different medical providers charge for the same procedure
or services. Brown says the system will ultimately bring down the
cost of medical care in Oklahoma.
"Consumers will be able to go online and see for themselves
what their out-of-pocket cost would be for a specific procedure
and actually compare what different providers charge," said
Brown, R-Broken Arrow. "This will not only help individual
consumers save money on medical care, but I believe it will be the
catalyst for more competitive prices."
Under Brown's proposed legislation, Senate Bill 411, the Insurance
Department and the State Department of Health would create a comprehensive
health care information system online. Brown said it would be modeled
after a program in New Hampshire.
"With their program, you can enter your insurance information
and your zip-code and get complete lists of providers in your area,
and how much your cost would be for each of them," Brown said.
"I think a lot of people would be shocked to know that with
one provider your cost could be a few hundred dollars, while with
another provider, that exact same procedure could cost thousands
more.”
“This is a consumer-driven plan that uses the free market
to bring down health care costs while empowering consumers,”
Brown said.
For more information contact:
Sen. Brown: (405) 521-5602
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