x
Breaking News
More () »

'Healthcare owns North Carolina, and Wall Street owns healthcare' | NC treasurer fights hospital costs

On Flashpoint, Dale Folwell said Charlotte's Tryon Medical Group is a provider that offers transparent pricing.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — If you've been to the hospital lately, or even a doctor's office, you are familiar with the feeling of sticker shock that comes with receiving the bill in the mail.

The bill is often steep, often surprising, even if you have good insurance.

"Last fall, I had a procedure that took eight minutes, that cost $6,000," Dale Folwell, North Carolina State Treasurer, said. 

Long before Folwell suffered his own sticker shock, he was on a campaign to make the state's largest hospitals more transparent amount costs and pricing.

MORE FLASHPOINT: Rental housing PAC hopes to influence local races, decrease regulation

Last year, the federal government established a new rule to require more transparency in pricing, but in a pandemic, execution has been uneven across the country.

"They have power everywhere. They control the supply of healthcare. They control the access to health care, and they control the price of health care," Folwell said.

Folwell cited Tryon Medical in Charlotte as a medical group that is upfront and transparent about pricing.

MORE FLASHPOINT: 'It's gonna be a heavy lift' | City leaders chart course for 2022

 Contact Ben Thompson at bthompson@wcnc.com and follow him on FacebookTwitter and Instagram.car

Flashpoint is a weekly in-depth look at politics in Charlotte, North Carolina, South Carolina, and beyond with host Ben Thompson. Listen to the podcast weekly.
SUBSCRIBEApple Podcasts || Spotify || Stitcher || Google Podcasts 

All of WCNC Charlotte's podcasts are free and available for both streaming and download. You can listen now on Android, iPhone, Amazon, and other internet-connected devices. Join us from North Carolina, South Carolina, or on the go anywhere.

 

Before You Leave, Check This Out