Released by Governor Ron DeSantis’ Office …
Palm Harbor, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced a number of transparency initiatives to significantly improve Florida’s health care system. The Governor was joined by Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) Secretary Mary Mayhew, Representative Chris Sprowls and Representative Wengay Newton.
The Governor announced the launch of Florida’s updated transparency web tool, the creation of the Governor’s Transparency Award and a directive to Secretary Mayhew to engage the employer community to collaborate on finding effective solutions in promoting transparency.
“Health care is the only industry where a consumer purchases something without knowing the price or value, and that needs to change,” said Governor DeSantis. “As Governor, I am laser focused on empowering patients with information through transparency and with these announcements today, we take another step in the right direction. Ultimately, my goal is to make Florida’s health care system the most transparent, most affordable and highest quality health care system in the nation.”
“Under Governor DeSantis’ leadership, our Agency has worked to dramatically increase the amount of health care information available to consumers,” said Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Mary Mayhew. “Floridians for the first time will have access to health care costs for procedures at hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers on Florida Health Price Finder. Our mission is to drive affordability and value across Florida’s health care system and by eliminating barriers to health care cost transparency we empower the consumers to make well-informed decisions and create increased accountability for providers.”
“With pricing information now readily available for a wide range of services and procedures on Florida Health Price Finder, patients can truly become consumers and make informed, empowered decisions about how and where they receive their health care,” said Speaker-designate Sprowls. “I applaud Governor DeSantis for expediting the development of this website and am proud to join him in announcing its launch and celebrate transparency for the benefit of all Florida consumers.”
At the start of his administration, the Governor directed AHCA Secretary Mayhew to expedite the development of Florida’s transparency web tool to offer facility-level pricing and quality information for the most common health care services. Today, the Governor announced that Floridians now have expanded access to facility specific cost information for 44 frequently searched non-emergency hospitals and ambulatory surgery center procedures by accessing AHCA’s Florida Health Price Finder website. County cost averages are also available for over 200 services typically provided in a health care provider office or clinic.
The expansion of Florida Health Price Finder enables Florida consumers to review and shop costs for frequently sought health care services such as knee replacements, hip replacements, or rotator cuff repair at facilities in their area. This cost data is linked also to quality information, thereby empowering Floridians with the transparency necessary to make fully informed health care decisions.
Additionally, Governor DeSantis announced the Governor’s Health Care Transparency Award for hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers. This honor will be awarded to facilities that have exceeded the bar set by regulatory standards and that are actively providing accessible and understandable data about their pricing, financial policies, and performance to patients and prospective patients. More information about the Governor’s Health Care Transparency Award can be found here.
Governor DeSantis also directed Secretary Mayhew to engage Florida’s business community in aligning efforts toward value-based health care. Leveraging the collective purchasing power of the State of Florida and private employers to drive greater accountability for improved health outcomes and pay-for-performance strategies will yield a health care system that delivers the highest quality care at the lowest cost with the most benefit to Florida consumers.
The DeSantis Administration’s leadership in accelerating health care cost transparency coincides with federal efforts to make meaningful cost information more broadly available. This past June, President Donald J. Trump issued an executive order on “Improving Price and Quality Transparency in American Healthcare to Put Patients First.” The President’s executive order underscores the need for consumers to have access to health care cost prior to service, thereby putting patients first when it comes to decisions about their health care.