HHS Secretary Burwell launches nationwide challenge for a simpler medical bill that patients can understand
Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell on Monday kicked off a contest to design a medical bill that is “simpler, cleaner, and easier for patients to understand.”
The A Bill You Can Understand challenge is sponsored by AARP and administered by the design agency Mad*Pow.
The challenge will issue two $5,000 awards: one for the innovator who designs the medical bill that is easiest to understand and another for the innovator who designs the best transformational approach to improve the medical billing system, focusing on what the patient sees and does throughout the process.
Submissions will be judged based on understandability, creativity and how well they address the challenges outlined by patients, providers and payers.
“This challenge is part of HHS’ larger effort to put patients at the center of their own healthcare,” Burwell said in announcing the challenge at Datapalooza today in the nation’s capital.
Patients often receive bills from multiple hospitals, doctors, labs or specialists for the same episode of care, each presented differently, making it hard for patients to understand what they owe, and what their insurance covers – or even whether the bills are correct, Burwell noted.
Six healthcare organizations will test or implement the winning solutions: Cambia Health Solutions in Portland, Orego; Geisinger Health System in Danville, Pennsylvania; Integris Health in Oklahoma City; MetroHealth System in Cleveland; Providence Health and Services in Seattle; and the University of Utah Health Care in Salt Lake City.
Deadline for submissions is August 10. Winners will be announced in September 2016.
Twitter: @Bernie_HITN
Email the writer: bernie.monegain@himssmedia.com
