RESOLUTION 63-05, 2006: Physician Pricing Transparency
AAPS General Assembly, September 2006

Submitted by Mark Schiller, M.D.

WHEREAS: patients frequently are aware only of the cost of an insurance company or health plan co-pay, or the government or private third-party reimbursement rate for medical services;

WHEREAS: patients will become more prudent consumers of medical services if they are advised of the actual price of those medical services;

WHEREAS: patients who use their own funds to pay their medical bills should be able to negotiate prices as do insurance companies and the government;

WHEREAS: AAPS has already passed a resolution encouraging price transparency for hospitals;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT: AAPS encourages physicians to voluntarily make public their prices for medical services, particularly for direct payment by patients.