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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Misha Sharp, Assistant Director of Policy at 32BJ Health Fund on Hospital Pricing Transparency
2:27:12
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113 sec
Misha Sharp from 32BJ Health Fund urged the City Council to ensure transparency and accountability in hospital pricing. They emphasized the importance of supporting the strong implementation of the Office of Healthcare Accountability to collect and disseminate information on healthcare cost drivers and hospital prices.
- Highlighted the high cost of care at five large academic medical centers in New York City
- Called for the release of negotiated hospital prices for the city's public employee health plan, benchmarked to Medicare
- Urged the City Council to critically engage with the upcoming report findings and advocate for the release of all information required under local law 78
Misha Sharp
2:27:12
Alright.
2:27:13
Thank you chair nurses and committee members for the invitation to testify today.
2:27:17
I'm the assistant director of policy at thirty two BJ Health Fund, Misha Sharp.
2:27:21
We provide health benefits for over 200,032 BJ union members and their families using contributions from over 5,000 employers.
2:27:29
Our members are the frontline workers that keep the city's buildings in order and our airports and schools running.
2:27:35
Today, I urge the city council to take action to ensure transparency and accountability in hospital pricing.
2:27:41
For over five years, we have been talking about the issue of high and rising prices of care in New York City hospitals.
2:27:47
In one year, it costs us more for care at five large academic medical centers in New York City than for our entire pension benefit.
2:27:55
And while we know that safety nets like health and hospitals do not contribute to this issue, New York City's workers and employers need transparency and protection from the highest hospital prices.
2:28:05
This is why it is critical for the city council to support the strong implementation of the Office of Healthcare Accountability.
2:28:11
The office can provide one entity that collects and disseminates critical information on health care cost drivers and hospital prices.
2:28:19
And we hope to receive the office's first annual report on New York City hospital pricing and finances later this month.
2:28:25
It is particularly important that that report provide negotiated hospital inpatient and outpatient prices by procedure and by hospital for the city's public employee health plan and that those prices are benchmarked to Medicare so that we have a consistent point of comparison.
2:28:42
We know that the value of this office is only as good as the data it can access and share, and we know there are many industry players that would prefer that this information stay hidden.
2:28:51
We urge the city council to engage critically with the report findings and to advocate for the release of all information required under local law 78.
2:28:59
If certain information is missing, we hope the city council should ask why that is.
2:29:04
Thank you for your time.