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Concerns about data redaction and transparency issues in the healthcare pricing report
1:14:21
ยท
69 sec
Council Member Menin expresses deep frustration over the redaction of critical data in the healthcare pricing report, particularly information withheld by Anthem insurance company.
- Large amounts of hospital pricing information have been redacted
- Anthem is cited as refusing to cooperate, using gag orders in contracts as a justification
- The redactions hinder the city's ability to use its purchasing power to drive down healthcare costs
- Menin urges the administration to overcome this obstacle and provide full information to New York City
Julie Menin
1:14:21
Chair, can I just ask one last question related to the report?
1:14:24
So the report came out as you know, I'm incredibly frustrated that pieces of the report are missing critical data.
1:14:31
There is enormous amount of information that has been redacted about hospital prices.
1:14:36
The whole point of the creation of this office was to give consumers transparency around the price of every medical procedure at every New York City hospital, and to allow New York City, who is spending 10% of the city budget on public sector employee retiree independent health care, to be able to harness its purchasing power to drive down costs.
1:14:56
That is nearly impossible to do if large swaths of this data is being redacted because Anthem is refusing to play ball and is utilizing the pretense of gag orders in these contracts.
1:15:11
So I can't tell you how disappointing and frustrating this is after fighting so hard for the creation of this office, and I really urge the administration to go beyond this roadblock that Anthem is putting up and to finally once and for all provide this information to the city of New York.