Coalition for affordable hospitals

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We can no longer be held hostage
to this anti-patient price setting system.

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Get the Facts on Fair Share Spending from the Lown Institute:

Get the Facts on Hospital Prices from the 32BJ Health Fund:

We are a coalition of labor unions, health care providers, community organizations, religious institutions, social justice advocates, and government entities fighting to rein in out-of-control hospital costs and anti-competitive behavior that hurt hard-working New Yorkers in every corner of the state. Hospitals are a driving force behind escalating health care costs, which prevent individuals from accessing affordable, high-quality care, leads to stagnating wages, and diverts taxpayer funds from much-needed public services.

HIGH HOSPITAL COSTS DRIVE HIGH HEALTH COSTS

High hospital costs are a large driver of escalating health care prices in New York and across the nation, making it more difficult for hardworking individuals to access affordable, quality care.
From 2013-2017, the cost of care at New York metro area hospitals rose 22 percent. As of 2017, they were 19 percent above the median cost.
“Americans spend over a trillion dollars a year at hospitals. That's about a third of national health spending, which now consumes almost 20% of U.S. GDP.”
–Zack Cooper, Economist at the Yale School of Public Health, 2019

As a Coalition we must:

1

Call on large hospital systems to come to the table in good faith and agree to fair and transparent contract terms, processes, and pricing.

2

Work with elected officials to advocate for meaningful policies that prohibit anti-competitive practices and ensure transparency in price setting and contracts by passing the Hospital Equity and Affordability Law (HEAL) and other regulatory measures.

3

Urge our governmental institutions to use all tools at their disposal to insist on fair pricing from hospital systems that protect the interests of all New Yorkers.

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FAQs

High hospital costs are a large driver of escalating health care prices in New York and across the nation, making it more difficult for hardworking individuals to access affordable, quality care.
As hospital costs continue to rise, there’s too much money going to pay hospitals and not enough in New Yorker’s pockets for wage increases and benefits. The money ultimately comes out of the hands of hardworking New Yorkers and ends up in the coffers of hospital systems.
Yes, the rising cost of hospitals is an issue that affects all New Yorkers, regardless of their employment or socio-economic status. Taxpayers end up footing the bill for escalating health care costs, while hospitals continue to profit. Every dollar that goes towards health costs is one less dollar that could have gone to fund important public services.

HEAL aims to improve hospital pricing transparency and promote competitive hospital contracting practices, arming purchasers with critical information when negotiating coverage contracts and helping to drive costs down. HEAL is challenging some of New York’s largest hospital systems – particularly NewYork-Presbyterian, which has some of the highest costs for standard procedures and services in the New York metro area – to account for their high healthcare prices. Smaller healthcare providers, with comparable levels of care, charge only a fraction in comparison.

HEAL will:

1. End hospitals’ ability to dictate the terms under which the 32BJ Health Fund and other purchases can offer innovative clinical initiatives to participants and additional benefits that encourage participants to seek services at value-based health care providers.

2. Enable insurers to create or modify a tiered network benefit plan.

3. Rein in hospital pricing by prohibiting the use of “most favored nation provisions,” which forces insurers to honor the highest price negotiated with any hospital rather than the one negotiated individually.

The bill has already been introduced. Through our coalition efforts we will fight for its passage during the 2022 legislative session, which runs from January to June.
HEAL came on the heels of 32BJ Health Fund’s decision to sever ties with NewYork-Prebysterian due to its out-of-control prices for standard care compared to other area hospitals. But this was just the first step, and it only addressed a symptom rather than the root cause of escalating health care costs. After much consideration, it was clear a legislative fix was necessary to level the playing field for patients across New York.

From 2013-2017, the cost of care at New York metro area hospitals rose 22 percent. As of 2017, they were 19 percent above the median cost. Hospitals also make up the largest component of U.S. health care costs.

No. The bottom line is that no matter who is paying the bills – the state, a private insurance plan or a Fund like 32BJ’s, high hospital costs are going to continue to drive up the overall cost of health care. In fact, if the government runs a single-payer system, it will be more important than ever to rein in these costs to assure that taxpayers aren’t stuck with exorbitant bills for a top-heavy system. We must act now to get hospital costs under control.
This is a coalition spearheaded by 32BJ that advocates for policies that will lower the cost of health care for all New Yorkers.
A chorus of voices representing a wide variety of interests, organizations, and ideologies from across the state will demonstrate that there is significant support for bringing high hospital costs down. We are convening a broad and diverse coalition to ensure that the concerns of all New Yorkers are heard and addressed.

Coalition News

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS -

July 14, 2022

Op-Ed: New York City hospital costs are out of control

READ MORE

RELENTLESS HEALTH VALUE -

July 14, 2022

Podcast: How to Kick a Big Hospital Out of Your Network, With Cora Opsahl

READ MORE

RELENTLESS HEALTH VALUE -

July 7, 2022

Podcast: Step One for Employers and Unions—Get Your Data, With Cora Opsahl

READ MORE

Crain's New York -

June 14, 2022

Op-ed: Passage of Heal price-transparency bill marks progress in fight for affordable health care

READ MORE

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For more information on how to join the Coalition for Affordable Hospitals in the effort against escalating prices, please use the form below.

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