Christine Cooper, Founder and CEO, aequum, Leads Discussion on Healthcare Price Transparency Panel at SIIA Spring Forum 2024

aequum LLC, which serves more than 425 self-insured health plans and their participants, today announces that Christine Cooper, founder and CEO, aequum and co-chair of the Self-Insurance Institute of America, Inc. (SIIA) Price Transparency Committee, will be participating in a 75-minute discussion on Healthcare Price Transparency at the SIIA Spring Forum. The event, scheduled to take place on March 25-27, 2024 at JW Marriott in San Antonio, TX., will be the largest gathering of self-insurance industry professionals for the first half of 2024.

“Price transparency is one of the hottest topics in healthcare as evidenced by the scramble to comply with the No Surprises Act, enacted as part of the Consolidated Appropriations, and Transparency-in-Coverage rule,” says Cooper. "As enforcement of this evolving legislative and regulatory landscape remains a concern, it's crucial to address the challenges faced by plan sponsors and participants. We must ensure they are better prepared to navigate the Independent Dispute Resolution Process and make informed healthcare decisions."

Cooper’s panel will examine crucial topics discussed at SIIA’s Healthcare Transparency Forum in February, distilling the most pertinent and timely content shared with attendees at that event. With a focus on actionable insights, the panel aims to equip senior-level professionals attending the Spring Forum with key takeaways from the previous day-long educational deep dive, which will be condensed into a concise half-dozen sessions.

Last month, Cooper highlighted a significant disparity between estimated and actual dispute numbers in the IDR process, revealing that 334,828 disputes were initiated, far exceeding the anticipated 17,000 claims per year estimated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid.

Mindful of this disconnect, Cooper remains dedicated to empowering plan sponsors and participants, emphasizing the importance of enhanced education to navigate the IDR process and make informed healthcare decisions. Committed to assisting and defending health plans and patients, her focus lies in providing legal advocacy services for plan members facing out-of-network and balance billing claims, covering all stages from provider billing to jury trial and appeal. Cooper's expertise extends to alternative dispute resolution, commercial litigation, business torts, construction law, and intellectual property disputes.

Cooper concludes, "Our mission at aequum is to advocate for fairness and justice in healthcare billing. By facilitating discussions like these and providing actionable insights, we strive to create a more transparent and equitable healthcare system for all."

About aequum, LLC

Founded in 2020, aequum LLC serves third-party administrators, medical cost management companies, stop-loss carriers, employer-sponsored health plans and brokers nationwide to protect plan participants, improve employee satisfaction with their health care plans, and generate plan and participant cost savings. aequum LLC helps patients defend medical balance bills and brings savings to employer-sponsored health plans by providing administrative and other services to its partners. In addition, its sister organization, Koehler Fitzgerald LLC, provides legal advocacy to plan participants. Visit aequumhealth.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240319019220/en/