Gov. Jim Doyle signed legislation Tuesday that aims to make health-care costs more transparent for consumers.
The Health Care Transparency Bill requires providers to release information on common procedures to their customers. The bill intends to give consumers more access to price information so they can make informed decisions about the procedures they receive.
""Nowhere else are people asked to buy a product before they know what the price is ... this bill is a practical step forward that will help people better understand what their health-care costs are before making important health-care decisions,"" Doyle said in a statement.
The Wisconsin Association of Health Plans, an organization comprised of 16 health provider groups, praised the legislation. Nancy Wenzel, CEO of WAHP, said the bill parallels steps many health-care providers across the state are already taking.
""As access to health-care cost information increases, we expect consumer demand for the information will grow. Health plans are working to meet the growing demand,"" she said in a statement.
