Opinion: N.Y. hospital proposal is a bad deal for consumers

Imagine hiring a mechanic to fix your car but you have to pay before you even know what’s wrong with it or whether you actually need the part. You’d probably want an explanation of what needs to be replaced and how much it will cost before having to pay. Not many industries are able to force consumers to pay first and explain later. However, that’s exactly what a new legislative proposal will make us all do. Hospital lobbyists are asking New York’s lawmakers to approve a policy in the state budget that would require that hospital claims be paid before hospitals submit information demonstrating that care was medically necessary.