Price transparency is often highlighted in conversations about health care reform in the U.S. since prices vary for health care goods and services by location, provider choice, health insurance benefit design, and other factors. Such complexity within the health care delivery system makes it difficult to distill and share information that would be meaningful and useful to patients and providers.

At a time when patients are bearing a rising share of health care costs—in the form of copays, deductibles and higher coinsurance amounts—price transparency is seen as vehicle to empower the selection of appropriate and high-value care.

The American Society of Clinical Oncology’s (ASCO) latest policy brief on price transparency provides an overview of the issues complicating health care price transparency, the society’s concerns about how the lack of price transparency in the health care system is impacting people with cancer, and how drug manufacturers, pharmacy benefit managers, and other stakeholders can be more transparent in a way that is meaningful for patients and providers.

Read the full policy brief.

Visit ASCO in Action for updates on efforts to address the high cost of cancer care and other breaking cancer policy news.