From WisPolitics.com/WisBusiness.com …
— Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce is spotlighting “egregious” disparities between the cost of the same procedure done at different hospitals in the state.
The business group today issued a release referencing two reports: one from the Center for Research on the Wisconsin Economy, a think tank at UW-Madison; and another from the Health Care Cost Institute.
The median negotiated price for the same colonoscopy procedure can range from less than $1,500 at Marshfield/Sanford to more than $4,600 at Froedtert Milwaukee, according to the CROWE findings.
While WMC says that’s “alarming on its own,” the group also notes families and employers alike usually don’t know the cost until after the service has been provided, arguing the state has failed to “enact and enforce full health care price transparency” including a price tool for consumers.
“The health care system continues to push costs onto families and employers while keeping prices hidden and unchecked,” WMC Associate Vice President of Government Relations Rachel Ver Velde said in a statement. “Full transparency isn’t optional — it’s an essential first step to rein in costs, protect workers’ paychecks, and keep Wisconsin competitive.”
Meanwhile, the Health Care Cost Institute’s report shows health care costs in Wisconsin are 55% above the national average — second highest in the country, WMC notes — while utilization is 6% below the national average.
WMC argues these figures show health care is “significantly less affordable” in the state, noting related costs make up 34% more of per-capita income than the national average.
In response, Wisconsin Hospital Association President and CEO Kyle O’Brien said policymakers in both parties are focused on improving care access and “won’t be distracted by easily refutable statements” made to grab headlines.
“The simple fact is this: Wisconsin’s hospitals are among the most transparent in the country,” he said in an emailed statement.
See the release below.
— In the latest WisPolitics “Capitol Chats” podcast, public health consultant Melissa Moore argues Wisconsin’s “Wild West” market for intoxicating hemp has created a public safety issue for the state.
“When we talk about the impact that intoxicating hemp products specifically is having on Wisconsinites, that unregulated risk is really the first piece,” Moore said. “The part where they’re sold in many different locations, poorly labeled, untested, they could potentially be contaminated.”
This market is now in jeopardy due to a federal law signed last year that closes a “hemp loophole” that allowed the marijuana substitutes to be widely sold in Wisconsin.
Hemp lobbyist Phillip Scott told “Capitol Chats” last month that the law change could cause the hemp industry to implode. But he added it’s unclear whether the federal government has the resources or the will to enforce the hemp ban. He maintained state lawmakers needed to codify a legal avenue for the product.
“We still have the freedom to take that action at the state level, and I think it’s important that the state does look at what is going to be best for the communities,” Moore agreed.
She added that policymakers need to think about hemp in the same way they think about alcohol or tobacco.
“Consistency and regulation can really help build that trust, not only in the market that’s looking to sell it, to make sure that they’re selling a safe and regulated and restricted and tested product, but then also to protect our communities,” Moore said.
Check out the full episode.
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Press Releases
– Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce: Egregious healthcare costs: Wisconsin’s economic disadvantage
– The Wisconsin Primary Health Care Association: Celebrates end-of-session health policy advances
