It’s been nearly a year and a half since the hospital price transparency law went into effect. It requires every hospital in the country to provide clear, accessible information online about items and services they provide. That includes standard charges for all payers and health plans, as well as a standard charges list or a price estimator tool for the 300 most common services. But the President and CEO of Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital, Doctor Scott Neeley, says it’s still very difficult for patients to get clarity…

click to listen to Doctor Neeley

And since about 80-percent of patients in most hospitals are insured by either MediCal or Medicare, Neeley says they’re reimbursement rate is fixed, while costs keep going up. He says labor costs have climbed by double-digit rates…

click to listen to Doctor Neeley

Neeley says most health care organizations, including Dignity Health, have reported significant financial losses this year. In her monthly report, State Controller Betty Yee says cost and bureaucratic barriers cause many to delay or skip preventive and chronic care, or to not purchase and take needed medications.