Updated February 11, 2015

A bill that would require health insurance companies to submit all patient claims to a statewide database, making health care cost and quality information more transparent, was met with support in Olympia last week. Last Friday, our executive director Nancy Giunto testified to the House Health Care & Wellness Committee in support of House Bill 1437, which modifies legislation passed in the 2014 session to establish an All-Payer Claims Database in Washington state.

This new bill would improve health care quality and cost transparency by changing key provisions of the existing legislation regarding data, reporting and pricing of products, responsibilities of the Office of Financial Management and the lead organization as well as the process for submission to the database and parameters for release of information.

Led by Rep. Eileen Cody, the committee heard testimonies from supporters from several other groups representing diverse interests including health care providers, the business community and insurance plans. The bill has passed the House health care committee and will next move to the House floor for debate.

UPDATE:

Ms. Giunto testified on February 9, 2015 to the Washington State Senate Health Care Committee in support of Senate Bill 5084. The committee heard testimonies from several groups representing health care consumers, providers, insurance plans and the business community. You can read Ms. Giunto’s testimony and watch the hearing on TVW.

Learn more

• Read Nancy Giunto’s full testimony to the House Health Care & Wellness Committee.
• Watch Nancy Giunto’s testimony on TVW to the House Health Care & Wellness Committee.
• Read Nancy Giunto’s full testimony to the Senate Health Care Committee.
• Watch Nancy Giunto’s testimony on TVW to the Senate Health Care Committee.
• Read press release from the Office of the Governor.
• Read article about hearing in Puget Sound Business Journal.