The 17 members of the Wisconsin Association of Health Plans pledged today to help their consumers make more informed health care decisions by making health care costs more transparent.

Each of the association-member health plans signed a pledge to begin providing, by Sept. 1, estimates of out-of-pocket costs to enrollees who request them before receiving services.

Also by Sept. 1, each plan will inform their enrollees that the out-of-pocket cost estimates are available.

"The rising cost of health care services is pushing health insurance premiums higher and taking more money out of consumers' pockets," said Steve Youso, chief administrative officer of Security Health Plan and president of the Wisconsin Association of Health Plans Board. "The cost information we can provide will give consumers a better position from which to evaluate health care options and make more fully informed decisions."

Current state regulations require health plans to provide, upon request, descriptions of their coverage terms and estimates of allowable charges for a specific service from a specific provider. The association transparency initiative goes beyond current requirements to give health plan enrollees the cost information most relevant to them - estimates of what they will be required to pay out of their own pockets.

The pledge applies to the plans' commercial enrollment as well as their BadgerCare Plus enrollees who may have out-of-pocket expenses.

"Today's initiative is an important step in the progression of health care transparency efforts in Wisconsin," said Nancy Wenzel, chief executive officer of the Wisconsin Association of Health Plans. "Health plans were instrumental in developing standardized quality measures, and now we're doing our part to improve cost transparency."

Association members pledging to provide cost transparency include: Abri Health Plan; Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield; Arise Health Plan; Children's Community Health Plan; Dean Health Plan; Group Health Cooperative of Eau Claire; Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin; Gundersen Lutheran Health Plan; Health Tradition Health Plan; Humana Inc.; Managed Health Services; MercyCare Health Plans; Network Health Plan; Physicians Plus Insurance Corp.; Security Health Plan; UnitedHealthcare of Wisconsin Inc.; and Unity Health Plans Insurance Corp.