MO HB475

Requires providers to give uninsured patients timely cost estimates for elective or nonemergent health care services upon request, with data available to the public via the internet.

Requires insurers or third-party benefit administrators to provide insured patients timely estimates of costs and cost-sharing obligations for elective or nonemergent health care services upon request.

Establishes 19 criteria for insurer programs that assess and compare provider quality and cost efficiency, including independent review by nationally recognized organizations, transparency in measures and methodologies, and opportunities for provider reconsideration of performance results.

Requires entities that distribute health care quality and cost efficiency data to the public to identify the measure source, evidence-based science, and peer review process used to validate the data as objective health care quality indicators.

Assigns enforcement of violations by health insurers to the Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions and Professional Registration, and authorizes the Department of Health and Senior Services to impose penalties up to $1,000 for violations by other entities.