In an effort to increase transparency, area hospitals now will list service prices online as mandated by federal law.
The law is intended to increase access for patients to the cost of health care. In addition, the transparency is intended to offer more information regarding a patient’s own medical history.
In a statement, Arkansas’ Northwest Health discussed the change:
Northwest Health knows that quality, affordable healthcare is important to our patients. Our goal is – and always has been – to help patients get the care they need and we want them to understand their financial responsibility and the payment options available to them. Patients want to know how much they personally will pay out of pocket, which is something a list of charges doesn’t tell them.
