FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 9, 2006

PRINT This Document

CONTACT:

Ben Miller

Media Director

317-569-8490

bmiller@cbrokerage.com

Visit the 2008 IndyAHU.org Website Sponsor

Visit the Sponsors of the 2008 IAHU Sales Congress

RED CARPET SPONSOR

PLATINUM SPONSORS

GOLD SPONSORS

Pricing Transparency is Imperative to Controlling Healthcare Costs

(Indianapolis, IN) -- After intense lobbying by hospital groups, a provision establishing federal requirements for hospitals to publicly report prices was stripped from the Health Information Technology Promotion Act of 2006 before it passed the House of Representatives in late July.  The provision in H.R. 4157 would have charged the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services with developing standards for inpatient and outpatient price reporting by 2008.

The Indianapolis Association of Health Underwriters (IAHU) strongly believes that the federal government should immediately enact legislation that will establish standard pricing transparency guidelines.  "In order to help people become better purchasers of health care, they must have the ability to understand the cost.  Transparency is a significant step towards that goal," stated Anita Strauss, IAHU President.

"With health care inflation expected to continue at two times the rate of general inflation, failure to enact transparency legislation will only hinder the ability health insurance carriers to reign in health care costs that continue to add to premium increases," added Strauss.

The Indianapolis Association of Health Underwriters believes the government should move to enact legislation during this legislative session that will address the need for pricing transparency.  Failure to do so will only add to the number of uninsured.

The mission of the Indianapolis Association of Health Underwriters is to improve its members' ability to meet the health, financial and retirement security needs of all Americans through education, advocacy and professional developments.

IAHU supports over 400 members, committed to sensible health care coverage, and will continue to push for meaningful health insurance that is affordable to everyone.  IAHU members adhere to the highest ethical standards of conduct in the industry.

###