The Office of the State Auditor (Office) today announces the addition of medical cannabis visit cost information to Utah Health Cost Compare. HealthCost.utah.gov allows users to easily compare the cost of a variety of healthcare procedures and medications from different providers across Utah. This update delivers a tool where users can compare the cost of a visit to obtain or renew a medical cannabis-related evaluation.
The new capability was jointly developed by the Office of the State Auditor in cooperation with the Utah Department of Health. It provides a convenient way to compare the cost of different types of medical cannabis-related healthcare provider visits. Utahns can select from 4 types of visits to compare prices across various Utah practices. Types of visits include Initial Cannabis Evaluation or Cannabis Renewal Visit.
“Including cost information for medical cannabis visits in a single location will assist patients in their pursuit of critical health care resources and will protect them against predatory practices,” said Senator Luz Escamilla. “I am grateful for these coordinated efforts between the State Auditor’s Office and the Utah Department of Health that increase the effectiveness of the state’s medical cannabis program.”
“The department appreciates the opportunity to work with the Office of the State Auditor on adding medical cannabis visit cost information to this useful website. Some patients struggle to afford the cost of medical visits and it is great to see that patients now have the ability to easily compare prices charged by medical providers who offer medical cannabis evaluations. We encourage patients to visit this website, and we hope they connect with a medical provider who can best help them treat their medical condition at a reasonable price.” said Richard Oborn, Utah Department of Health, Center for Medical Cannabis.
State Auditor John Dougall commented, “Utah Health Cost Compare now includes the cost of a medical cannabis visit as well as over one hundred other medical procedures. We appreciated working with the Utah Department of Health to provide this valuable cost information to patients. We want Utahns to be able to find the most cost effective providers to meet their healthcare needs. We are shining a light on the true total cost of health care procedures. Too often medical pricing is unnecessarily opaque and overly confusing. It is time for meaningful change.”
Health Cost Compare may be accessed at HealthCost.utah.gov. Just click on the “Cannabis Visit” link at the top of the page to find visit cost information. The Medical Cannabis Visit comparison tool can be directly accessed here.
