HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 103

(By Delegate Westfall)

[Introduced March 7, 2018, Referred to the Committee on Rules]

Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance study the feasibility and propriety of adopting “Right to Shop” legislation to determine whether health care costs can be reduced for West Virginians through a program requiring the disclosure of cost estimates and establishing a system of rewards when savings are achieved above plan costs.

Whereas, “Right to Shop” legislation requires carriers offering a health plan to develop and implement a program providing incentives for enrollees who elect to receive a comparable health care service covered by the plan from providers that charge less than the average allowed amount paid by that carrier to network providers for comparable health care services; and

Whereas, The cost of health care services continues to rise placing enormous pressure on patients to pay premiums and meet deductibles, copays, and coinsurance amounts; and

Whereas, Prices vary significantly among providers for the same health care services, and patients have little information about what these services cost until after the service is provided; and

Whereas, Requiring greater transparency regarding the cost of health care services and rewarding patients when they find high quality/lower cost options may have a beneficial effect in reducing the rising costs; and

Whereas, In 2017, the State of Maine adopted “Right to Shop” legislation on a bipartisan basis and Florida, Kentucky, New Hampshire and Virginia have programs of sharing savings with state workers when those employees shop for health care services; therefore, be it

 Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance is requested to study the feasibility and propriety of adopting “Right to Shop” legislation to determine whether health care costs can be reduced for West Virginians through a program requiring the disclosure of cost estimates and establishing a system of rewards when savings are achieved above plan costs; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance report to the Legislature, on the first day of the regular session, 2019, on its findings, conclusions and recommendations, together with drafts of any legislation to effectuate its recommendations; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct this study, to prepare a report, and to draft necessary legislation be paid from legislative appropriations to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance.