Massachusetts Launches Consumer Health Care Transparency Mandate; Insurers Required To Post Prices Online

On October 14, 2014, the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (OCABR) implemented a consumer health care transparency mandate requiring insurers to post prices online. The mandate is part of a state law passed in 2012, which required insurers and providers to make prices public and available in a consumer-friendly format by October 1, 2014. The price transparency mandate is intended to allow Massachusetts consumers to compare the prices for medical procedures before obtaining those services. All insurers writing health insurance policies in the state have developed cost-estimator tools that are posted online at a new . . .