Department of Justice Approves Plan to Collect and Compare Hospital Cost Data

The Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice announced on April 26, 2010, that it would not challenge a proposal to establish an information exchange program designed to provide data on the relative costs and resource efficiency of more than 300 hospitals in California. According to its proponents, the proposal – dubbed the Hospital Value Initiative (HVI) – complements ongoing hospital quality measurement initiatives by improving transparency with respect to the cost and quality of hospital services and allowing consumers to make more informed decisions when purchasing hospital services.

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