NH, Maine cost comparison sites go well beyond transparency provision in federal health bill

NH, Maine test transparency with health cost tools

CONCORD, N.H. — The health care reform passed by the U.S. Senate would require hospitals to publicize their standard charges for services, but New Hampshire and Maine have gone much further in trying to make health care costs more transparent to consumers.

New Hampshire and Maine are the only states with Web sites that let consumers compare costs based on insurance claims paid there.

In New Hampshire, the price variation across providers hasn’t lessened since the Web site went live in 2007. But state officials say their goal was simply to give consumers as much information as possible.

Laura Davie used New Hampshire’s HealthCost site last year before getting a mammogram. She says she wanted to shop around in hopes that the savings someday will trickle down to her.