Oklahoma Policy Would Require Health Care Middlemen to Disclose True Costs to Employers

Washington, D.C.—Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) issued the following statement from Charlie Katebi, Deputy Director of Healthy America, about Oklahoma’s Senate Bill 1953, a proposal introduced by Senator Casey Murdock that would require insurance companies to provide employers with a full, itemized breakdown of the medical services purchased on behalf of their workers, including the price paid for each service:

“When Americans shop for groceries, they receive an itemized receipt showing the price of every item they buy. But Oklahoma employers often do not get that same transparency from the middlemen managing their health benefits. Instead, many business owners are left in the dark about the price of medical services purchased on behalf of their employees. That lack of transparency drives health care costs higher and makes coverage increasingly unaffordable.

This policy proposal would requiore health benefit middlemen to provide Oklahoma employers with a complete, itemized list of the services purchased for their employees and the price paid for each service. With real price transparency, businesses will be better equipped to uncover hidden costs, eliminate fraud and abuse, and provide more affordable care to their employees and families.”