Sen. Brown says transparency bill will reduce medical cost for Oklahomans

Sen. Bill Brown has introduced legislation to help Oklahomans see exactly what different medical providers charge for the same procedure or services. Brown says the system will ultimately bring down the cost of medical care in Oklahoma.

"Consumers will be able to go online and see for themselves what their out-of-pocket cost would be for a specific procedure and actually compare what different providers charge," said Brown, R-Broken Arrow. "This will not only help individual consumers save money on medical care, but I believe it will be the catalyst for more competitive prices."

Under Brown's proposed legislation, Senate Bill 411, the Insurance Department and the State Department of Health would create a comprehensive health care information system online. Brown said it would be modeled after a program in New Hampshire.

"With their program, you can enter your insurance information and your zip-code and get complete lists of providers in your area, and how much your cost would be for each of them," Brown said. "I think a lot of people would be shocked to know that with one provider your cost could be a few hundred dollars, while with another provider, that exact same procedure could cost thousands more.”

“This is a consumer-driven plan that uses the free market to bring down health care costs while empowering consumers,” Brown said.