The priority for most of us is stopping the devastation of COVID-19 and seeing that vaccine distribution is accelerated. With your support, the Alliance is also holding firm to our
Posts Categorized: Transparency
Time for Tintinnabulation
We have a tradition in the Alliance office, the “ringing of the bell.” Whenever we have a significant achievement, we ring a bell and gather together for just a moment
Announcing New Board Opioid Initiative
I am delighted to share some exciting Alliance news. As a way to support not just reporting on the health care system, but propelling action to improve it, the Alliance’s
Previewing the Alliance’s Latest Work
Hospital costs is a big topic these days. It’s not surprising when one-third of our health care dollars go to care in hospitals. And on the consumer side, medical bills
The Alliance Takes on the Wall Street Journal
You may have seen the recent Wall Street Journal article, “Posting Health Prices Online Isn’t Cure-All.” In it, the reporter takes a close look at New Hampshire’s twelve years of
Hospital Price Transparency: It’s complicated
You cut your finger making dinner. You’re not sure if you need stitches, and you have a high deductible. You quickly check online for the cost and the waiting time
Learning Module: Working Collaboratively to Achieve Price Transparency
As part of its Getting to Affordability initiative, the Network for Regional Healthcare Improvement (NRHI) and the Washington Health Alliance partnered to address how to work collaboratively to achieve price
Puget Sound Energy and SEIU 775 Benefits Group to submit data to Alliance’s APCD
The Washington Health Alliance is excited to announce that Puget Sound Energy and SEIU 775 Benefits Group have agreed to become data suppliers for the Alliance’s voluntary All-Payer Claims Database
Takeaways from the National Affordability Summit
Last month I shared that the Alliance received a scholarship through the Network for Regional Healthcare Improvement’s Getting to Affordability initiative, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, for registration
New Community Checkup demonstration webinar available
The Alliance’s Director of Communication and Development, John Gallagher, recently hosted a webinar demonstrating some of the many features of the Community Checkup website. Topics covered include how to compare
Transparency in health care is the new normal
High-value health care: that’s the goal, for ourselves, for our loved ones, for our community. No one knowingly chooses low value, not for something as important as health care. We
Data and convening remain the core of our work
It’s been an eventful summer for the Alliance, and I want to update you on the Alliance’s direction in the coming months. As you know, the state decided to select
Price transparency gets graded in new report
The Health Care Incentives Improvement Institute (HCI3) and the Catalyst for Payment Reform recently released their fourth report card on State Price Transparency Laws. Colorado, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and
Washington state lags behind on health care cost transparency
Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of presenting at the National Employer Leadership Seminar, an invitation-only event sponsored by the Network for Regional Healthcare Improvement (NRHI). The goal of
Standardizing measurement of health care quality
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced a new agreement to standardize measures of health care quality. We applaud this announcement. The more organizations that can align
New study finds stark difference in prices between private insurance and Medicare
A report released today from the Health Care Pricing Project highlights the stark difference between Medicare and private health insurance pricing for common health procedures. The report has garnered media attention,
Common Measure Set measures health care progress in Washington
The Washington State Common Measure Set for Health Care Quality and Cost is a set of 52 measures that enable a common way of tracking important elements of health and
New online tool focuses on complication rates
Recently, ProPublica released its Surgeon Scorecard, which used five years of Medicare data to assess complication rates of common elective procedures. These lower risk procedures include knee and hip replacements,
Improving Washington’s grade on price transparency
No one likes a failing grade. But in the 2015 Catalyst for Payment Reform (CPR) – Health Care Incentives Improvement Institute (HCI3) Report Card on State Price Transparency Laws, Washington
A new chapter begins for health care data transparency in Washington state
In a victory for health care transparency, the Washington State Legislature, with strong bipartisan support, passed a bill to establish a functional, state-mandated All-Payer Claims Database (APCD), which is a