Transparency
Wisconsin is a national leader in health care transparency, being one of the first states in the nation to develop online resources to voluntarily share information that will help consumers compare hospital charges, quality and safety.
WHA Information Center also collects certain rate increases for all Wisconsin hospitals. A hospital is to report its rate increase if its gross patient revenue increases faster than the rate of inflation.
PricePoint
PricePoint allows health care consumers to receive basic, facility-specific information about healthcare services and charges. Consumers can query information for Inpatient services, Outpatient Surgeries, Emergency Department, Urgent Care and Observation visits, and ancillary services such as radiology and therapies.
In January 2023, WHA Information Center (WHAIC) unveiled a large expansion of the data and a modern plain-language search function, assisting consumers in finding procedure codes and providing information on all services delivered in Wisconsin hospitals and surgery centers.
In October 2017, in addition to providing facility-specific charges and financial data for care provided, PricePoint offers guidance to help patients understand what their financial responsibility will be, along with providing estimated charges for services typically associated with conditions or treatments similar to their own. WHAIC also provides links to resources that explain insurance coverage, payment options and terminology commonly used regarding health care payment. If hospitals provide additional assistance with patient financial counselors, that information is also provided to the consumers.
CheckPoint
CheckPoint delivers reliable reports designed to make health care decisions and assist Wisconsin hospitals with quality improvement activities.
Wisconsin hospitals are committed to sharing information about the quality and safety of the health care services that they deliver in their communities. The hospitals reporting to CheckPoint provide care to more than 99 percent of the state's patient population.