States and localities are responding to public demands for web-accessible health care safety, quality, and pricing data which empowers citizens to become better informed and make appropriate health care decisions.

Just as states are supporting greater transparency investments as an approach to better government, likewise they are providing the means for consumers to become better educated on their health care spending. People want greater certainty in the quality and value of their health care experiences and states are responding by providing them with the tools to do so. Just this week Houston announced the launch of an online website to provide consumers with information about their health insurance options. Maybe sites like this will demonstrate that people have choices and they don't have to resort to alternatives such as getting hitched for health care?

Like Texas, similar transparency efforts are taking shape across the nation. There are laws in thirty states regarding the disclosure or reporting of health care fees. Here are just a few examples of initiatives:

• Florida, a front runner in health care transparency, has been successful in their website which provides comparisons of hospitals, health plans, prescription drugs, and more.
• Wisconsin's Governor used his State of the State Address to unveil plans to create a simple web-site and a 1-800 number to make it easier for families to understand their health care options.
• Legislation has been introduced in Louisiana for the administration to create a state-run site to allow consumers to compare the cost and quality of their health care facilities.
• Georgia is investing their Medicaid Transformation Grant funds into building a statewide health information transparency web site. Further supporting their goals, two weeks ago Georgia's Commissioner for the Department of Community Health appointed a Director to their newly created Office of Health Information Technology and Transparency (HITT).

Transparency will challenge the market to offer competitive prices and quality services. Presenting people with options is very powerful but just because the data becomes available who's to say that people will actually use it in a meaningful way? Education will be a big factor in consumer engagement. Aside from necessary transparency policies and funding, states and localities will need to sponsor and support outreach initiatives and promote access to the newly available health care information.

Gain more insight into state and local transparency efforts at INPUT's 3rd Annual State & Local MarketView event on June 4, 2008 in Tysons Corner.