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A2 UP FRONT
Friday 30 OctOber 2020
Trump rule says health plans must disclose costs up front

Continued from Front The issue of health care
price transparency started
— Starting in 2024, require attracting more attention
insurers to make cost- under the Obama admin-
sharing information avail- istration, as then-HHS Sec-
able on all the services and retary Kathleen Sebelius
goods they cover. oversaw the disclosure of
Patients would use an on- list prices charged by hospi-
line shopping tool from their tals. The Trump administra-
plan to see the negotiated tion’s initiative drills down
rate between their doc- more deeply to try to get at
tor and the insurer, as well the prices actually paid by
as an out-of-pocket cost insurers.
estimate for procedures, Many policy experts be-
drugs, durable medical lieve that high prices are
equipment and any other a major driver of the na-
item or service they may tion’s chronic affordability
need. problems with health care,
The information would be which accounts for about
available ahead of time, 18% of the total econo-
enabling an informed de- my, significantly burden-
cision. Currently, most pa- ing families, taxpayers and
tients find out what they businesses.
owe after they get back In this April 7, 2020, file photo, Seema Verma, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and “Transparency is here to
from the hospital and re- Medicaid Services, speaks about the coronavirus, in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the stay, even in a Biden ad-
White House in Washington.
ceive their “explanation of Associated Press ministration,” said Kavita
benefits” statement. Patel, a former Obama
“We need to keep pricing White House health policy
on the front end, not the is provided to consumers, it ter Trump, a Republican, ket. Patients usually follow adviser. However, she said
back end,” said Seema creates a new era of con- came into office. the recommendations of she believes Biden would
Verma, head of the Cent- sumerism.” If the Trump rules withstand their doctors. And people seek to reshape the Trump
ers for Medicare and Med- Verma said administration legal review, it’s unclear to pick doctors by reputation, rules to focus more on qual-
icaid Services. “We have officials have been work- what degree patients and by word of mouth or from ity, helping patients find
seen in every single industry ing to foster price disclo- their families will become the lists of physicians who high-value providers and
that when this information sure since 2017, soon af- a force reshaping the mar- contract with their insurers. services.q

Girl Scouts tweet, then delete post about Amy Coney Barrett

O'Connor; and Barrett's mints,'" Braff tweeted. to the Girl Scouts. "It's not
predecessor, the late Jus- As the online criticism 'partisan' to generically
tice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. mounted, the Girl Scouts congratulate the 5th wom-
The post was quickly at- deleted their original tweet an ever to join the High
tacked by critics who view and posted a new state- Court. It's patriotic. Taking
Barrett, a conservative, as ment. your tweet down (asterisk)
a potential threat to civil lib- "Earlier today, we shared is(asterisk) partisan, howev-
erties and women's rights. a post highlighting the er, and a real disappoint-
"What kind of patch does five women who have ment."
one earn for uplifting a been appointed to the Su- There was no immediate
woman who is the antith- preme Court. It was quickly reply from the Girl Scouts'
esis of justice?" tweeted viewed as a political and media spokeswoman to an
U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, partisan statement which Associated Press request for
D-Mass. Actor Amber Tam- was not our intent and we additional comment and
blyn tweeted that the Girl have removed the post.... for any details on whether
President Donald Trump and Amy Coney Barrett stand on the
Blue Room Balcony after Supreme Court Justice Clarence Scouts' post is "really dis- Girl Scouts of the USA is a Barrett had been in the Girl
Thomas administered the Constitutional Oath to her on the South appointing and won't age nonpolitical, nonpartisan Scouts. The Girl Scouts have
Lawn of the White House White House in Washington, Monday, well when access to safe organization. We are nei- been entangled in the cul-
Oct. 26, 2020. abortion and the health- ther red nor blue, but Girl ture wars as far back as the
Associated Press care needs of millions of Scout GREEN. We are here 1970s, when some conser-
By DAVID CRARY "Congratulations Amy Co- women and girls is gutted to lift up girls and women." vatives became irked by
AP National Writer ney Barrett on becoming in this country because of The retreat by the Girl the prominence of feminists
A tweet by the Girl Scouts the 5th woman appointed Barrett's addition to the Scouts was quickly assailed such as Betty Friedan in the
congratulating new Su- to the Supreme Court since court." by many of Barrett's conser- organization's leadership.
preme Court Justice Amy its inception in 1789." Actor Zach Braff was vative supporters. More recently, in response
Coney Barrett drew such The post featured an image among numerous people "Of course the @girlscouts to criticism from religious
outrage from Barrett's crit- of Barrett, who was con- who tweeted about seek- caved to the mob and de- conservatives, the Girl
ics that the youth organiza- firmed Monday and sworn ing alternatives to Girl leted this tweet congratu- Scouts insisted that they
tion swiftly deleted it – only in at the court on Tuesday; Scout cookies due to disen- lating Amy Coney Barrett. had no partnership with
to draw a new backlash along with currently serv- chantment with the Barrett SAD," tweeted the Inde- Planned Parenthood, and
from Barrett's supporters. ing justices Elena Kagan posting. pendent Women's Forum. did not take positions on
The original tweet, posted and Sonia Sotomayor; for- "(asterisk)Googles 'How do "This is pathetic," TV person- sexuality, birth control and
Wednesday evening, said, mer Justice Sandra Day you make your own thin ality Megyn Kelly tweeted abortion.q