Gavel to Gavel: Transparency in health care prices
Philip D. Hixon
Ashlyn M. Smith
On May 3, Gov. Kevin Stitt signed into law the Transparency in Health Care Prices Act, which requires health care providers to make the prices for certain health care services available to the public. The act comes on the heels of growing public awareness and concern over what many consumers in Oklahoma have described as surprise medical bills. The act received widespread, bipartisan support in both chambers of the Legislature before it was approved. The act’s principal author, Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, described the act before its passage as an important first step “to get to a point in the marketplace where consumers have all the data, including pricing to make smart, informed decisions on where to seek medical treatments.” But, according to Pugh, “[w]e have a long way to go.”
May 5, 2021
OKLAHOMA CITY â The Oklahoma Legislature and Gov. Kevin Stitt s office has released the following news recently:
⢠Speaker Pro Tempore Terry OâDonnell, R-Catoosa, on Thursday will present a resolution in the House of Representatives to observe Thursday in Oklahoma as the National Day of Prayer. House Concurrent Resolution 1008 also will be considered by the state Senate.
HCR 1008 recognizes prayer as the act of offering reverent devotion to God and as a cornerstone of our nation. It notes that through prayer individuals are able to directly speak to God, their Creator, and petition for His blessings. It notes that prayer is a source of solace in times of tragedy and a means of giving thanks in times of happiness.