Thursday, January 24, 2008

Transparency: what a great concept!

Today the Michigan Health and Hospital Association unveiled their new website www.MIHospitalInform.org. This web site was developed voluntarily by the MHA to provide price and quality transparency in health care. Consumers will find average charges, average payments, average length of stays and the total number of patients who were treated for any of 50 most frequent inpatient or outpatient procedures.

This is great news for consumers who are spending on their own health care. Wouldn't it be great if we had transparency in government spending? Actually, we already do at the federal level. All $3 TRILLION of the federal budget is available for easy review on line. To date, no less than 19 states have enacted transparency in government or are working bills through their respective legislatures.

The Michigan bill for transparency was introduced early last year. The Democrats in charge in the House have refused to even give it a hearing. Actually, Governor Granholm could enact such a measure virtually overnight by a simple executive order. No legislation is needed.

Is there wasteful spending out there the executive does not want anyone to know about?


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