--- title: How Healthcare Bluebook Began Transparency Well Before the Government Mandates description: Learn how Bluebook Comply™ helps self-insured employers understand and meet key compliance requirements for the healthcare price transparency mandates.. image: https://blog.valenzhealth.com/hubfs/Blog/AdobeStock_1547878920-1.jpeg --- [Skip to content](https://blog.valenzhealth.com/how-healthcare-bluebook-began-transparency-well-before-the-government-mandates#page-content) [![Valenz Health](https://blog.valenzhealth.com/hubfs/web/logo.svg)](https://www.valenzhealth.com/) - [Who We Serve](https://www.valenzhealth.com/who-we-serve/) - [Solutions](https://www.valenzhealth.com/solutions/member-experience/) - [About Us](https://www.valenzhealth.com/about-us/) - [Resources](https://www.valenzhealth.com/resources/) - [Contact](https://www.valenzhealth.com/contact/) ### [Patients](https://www.valenzhealth.com/who-we-serve/members/) ### Payers - [Employers](https://www.valenzhealth.com/who-we-serve/employers/) - [Taft-Hartley Funds](https://www.valenzhealth.com/who-we-serve/taft-hartley-funds/) ### Providers - [Healthcare Facilities and Providers](https://www.valenzhealth.com/who-we-serve/healthcare-facilities-and-providers/) ### Plans - [Health Plans](https://www.valenzhealth.com/who-we-serve/health-plans/) - [Third-Party Administrators](https://www.valenzhealth.com/who-we-serve/third-party-administrators-tpas/) - [Brokers and Consultants](https://www.valenzhealth.com/who-we-serve/brokers/) - [Stop Loss Producers](https://www.valenzhealth.com/who-we-serve/stop-loss-producers/) #### Partner with Us Discover how Vālenz Health® can simplify the healthcare experience with our innovative solutions. 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[Variable Copay](https://www.valenzhealth.com/solutions/plan-performance/variable-copay/) Back ### Search # How Healthcare Bluebook Began Transparency Well Before the Government Mandates By [Vālenz Health®](https://blog.valenzhealth.com/author/valenz-health) - August 09, 2023 [Compliance](https://blog.valenzhealth.com/tag/compliance) [Member Experience](https://blog.valenzhealth.com/tag/member-experience) Share ![Two co-workers review Bluebook Comply on a laptop. ](https://blog.valenzhealth.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog/AdobeStock_1547878920-1.jpeg?width=485&height=485&name=AdobeStock_1547878920-1.jpeg) Twenty years ago, Healthcare Bluebook introduced the concept of transparency in the healthcare market, founded on the principle that everyone should have access to the true quality and cost of healthcare.  Long regarded as a transparency pioneer, when the U.S. Congress needed to understand price transparency in healthcare to create the No Surprises Act, Bluebook was the only transparency company asked to testify before the Senate. Right out of the gate, our cost navigation tool fulfilled many of the requirements of the Transparency in Coverage rules and No Surprises Act that began in 2021. ## Transparency in Coverage Rules and No Surprises Act Have you ever received a bill from a provider you don’t recall seeing for a medical procedure? If so, you received a “surprise bill.,” possibly from an out-of-network provider. Effective January 2022, the [No Surprises Act](https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises/Ending-Surprise-Medical-Bills) restricted surprise billing for patients. Previously, if an individual received care from an out-of-network provider, the provider could bill them for the difference between the amount the health plan paid and the amount billed, known as a “surprise” or “balance” bill. The No Surprises Act contains several provisions to protect patients from receiving surprise bills. The [Transparency in Coverage](https://www.cms.gov/healthplan-price-transparency) rules are aimed at helping patients understand the cost of a covered service before receiving care. The mandates were released in three phases.  1. On July 1, 2022, most health plans were required to post pricing information for covered services to help consumers better understand their healthcare costs. 2. The next set of requirements went into effect on January 1, 2023, and provided additional access to cost information and enhanced patients’ ability to shop for and choose care that best meets their needs. 3. The final phase of the mandates, which goes into effect on January 1, 2024, requires the full release of pricing information for all services. Bill Kampine, co-founder and chief innovation officer at Healthcare Bluebook, said this about these first two phases: “[Bluebook](https://blog.healthcarebluebook.com/bluebook-comply-helping-tpas-and-health-plans-meet-price-transparency-deadlines#), along with many other organizations, spent a lot of time with legislators, their staffs, and administrators to help them understand to the benefit of self-insured employers, such as what are the financial consequences both for self-insured employers or plan sponsors and their members from lack of transparency in the system? We've gone through phase one. We've got the machine-readable file requirements, naturally we have the consumer tool requirements. The first of what I would call Version 1.0 was successfully launched, in our case, on January 1, 2023.” ## Success of the Mandates Compliance can be an overwhelming process, but solutions like [Bluebook Comply™](https://www.healthcarebluebook.com/explore-comply/) can turn compliance into a [strategic advantage](https://blog.healthcarebluebook.com/value-beyond-compliance-turning-compliance-mandates-into-a-strategic-advantage). This solution helps self-insured employers, third-party administrators, and health plans understand, meet, and exceed deadlines for the No Surprises Act and Transparency in Coverage rules. After two years, Bluebook Comply includes: - 24,000 hosted machine-readable files - 586 available unique provider networks, and - 18,000 total searchable medical procedures. Bluebook now serves: - More than 50 third-party administrators and health plan partners - 25,000 affiliated employer groups, and - 4 million supported members For example, one of Bluebook’s public sector sharing trust clients implemented a series of best practices built into Bluebook’s compliance solution resulting in 24.5 percent average monthly utilization and $589,000 in savings in their first year. “We're getting a lot of really positive feedback in terms of how consumers use those tools,” shared Kampine. “The one thing personally that I find really exciting about this is this notion that the compliance regulations, while well intended for the consumer tools, are great from one standpoint. It is now required that any consumer have access to a transparency tool.” [![Who knew compliance could become a business strategy? We break it down for you in an infographic here.](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/1769848/7faaa1f6-a1de-4e87-96bf-f20ea191671b.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/1769848/7faaa1f6-a1de-4e87-96bf-f20ea191671b) ## What’s Missing from the Mandates? Although the mandates protect consumers from surprise bills and help them understand the cost of procedures before receiving care, several key components must be addressed before healthcare is truly transparent. According to Kampine, “Pharmacy information, quality information, a focus on the total cost as opposed to your out-of-pocket cost, and ultimately benefit design and incentives that encourage people are missing from the mandates. As we march from Version 1.0 to 2.0—that includes all services—there's a tremendous influx of interest in: ‘OK, we understand that these are the compliance regulations. How do we add in all those other capabilities, that are really the cutting-edge capabilities, that enable us to do the things to affect what we're spending, to affect what our consumers are spending out of their own pockets, and what we as plan sponsors are spending?’” ## Ready to Make the Mandates Work to Your Advantage? Compliance with the Transparency in Coverage rules and the No Surprises Act can be a daunting process. But if we look at compliance from a different perspective, a unique opportunity exists to transform the experience into a business strategy. Download our guide to find out [how Bluebook Comply can help your organization use compliance to your advantage](https://go.healthcarebluebook.com/compliance-as-a-business-strategy-healthcare-bluebook). [![Cover of Compliance as a Business Strategy ](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/1769848/4365dbce-7303-437d-86a4-79cc00c14ad2.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/1769848/4365dbce-7303-437d-86a4-79cc00c14ad2) ![Vālenz Health®](https://blog.valenzhealth.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Valenz%20Logo%20Signature.png?width=48&height=48&name=Valenz%20Logo%20Signature.png) [Vālenz Health®](https://blog.valenzhealth.com/author/valenz-health) Vālenz Health® empowers employers, brokers, payers, and providers to reduce costs, improve quality, and elevate the healthcare experience. Our solutions combine advanced technology, clinical expertise, and extensive cost, quality, and utilization datasets to execute across the entire healthcare journey — connecting insights and action for greater transparency, flexibility, and cost containment within a complex system. By helping our customers and members navigate healthcare with confidence, we support smarter care decisions, strengthen plan performance, and deliver better value for everyone we serve. ## Related Articles [![A doctor's stethoscope lying beside an emptied piggy bank.](https://blog.valenzhealth.com/hubfs/Blog/why-price-transparency-isnt-enough-featured-blog-image.png)](https://blog.valenzhealth.com/incentivizing-smarter-healthcare-choices) ### [Why Price Transparency Isn’t Enough: The Importance of Incentives in Driving Smarter Healthcare Decisions](https://blog.valenzhealth.com/incentivizing-smarter-healthcare-choices) [Christie LaGrange](https://blog.valenzhealth.com/author/christie-lagrange) October 21, 2026 [![](https://blog.valenzhealth.com/hubfs/Social/2026/October/hcbb-vbb-social.png)](https://blog.valenzhealth.com/valenz-bluebook-healthcare-bluebook) ### [From Healthcare Bluebook to Valenz Bluebook: Turning Navigation into Smarter Care Decisions](https://blog.valenzhealth.com/valenz-bluebook-healthcare-bluebook) Two years ago, Vālenz Health® welcomed a new member to our product family: Healthcare Bluebook. [Vālenz Health®](https://blog.valenzhealth.com/author/valenz-health) October 06, 2026 Share Ready to Simplify Self-Insurance? ## Your Journey Starts Here Connect with a Valenz team member to explore the difference our solutions can make for you. ![Vālenz Health](https://www.valenzhealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/logo.svg) [![Youtube](https://www.valenzhealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Icon-Youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/@valenzhealth) [![Linkedin](https://www.valenzhealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Icon-Linkedin.svg)](https://www.linkedin.com/company/valenz/) [Login](https://www.valenzhealth.com/user-login/) [Help Center](https://support.valenzhealth.com/hc/en-us) [Trust Center](https://trust.valenzhealth.com/) [Privacy Policy](https://www.valenzhealth.com/privacy-policy/) Cookie Settings [Cookie Policy](https://www.valenzhealth.com/cookie-policy/) [California Privacy Rights Notice](https://www.valenzhealth.com/california-privacy-rights-notice/) [Terms and Conditions](https://www.valenzhealth.com/terms-and-conditions/) 1717 McKinney Ave, Suite 1000, Dallas, TX 75202, USA | [(866) 762-4455](tel:+18667624455) © 2026 Vālenz Health® ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "about" : [ { "@type" : "Thing", "name" : "Compliance" }, { "@type" : "Thing", "name" : "Member Experience" } ], "articleBody" : "Twenty years ago, Healthcare Bluebook introduced the concept of transparency in the healthcare market, founded on the principle that everyone should have access to the true quality and cost of healthcare. Long regarded as a transparency pioneer, when the U.S. Congress needed to understand price transparency in healthcare to create the No Surprises Act, Bluebook was the only transparency company asked to testify before the Senate. Right out of the gate, our cost navigation tool fulfilled many of the requirements of the Transparency in Coverage rules and No Surprises Act that began in 2021. Transparency in Coverage Rules and No Surprises Act Have you ever received a bill from a provider you don’t recall seeing for a medical procedure? If so, you received a “surprise bill.,” possibly from an out-of-network provider. Effective January 2022, the No Surprises Act restricted surprise billing for patients. Previously, if an individual received care from an out-of-network provider, the provider could bill them for the difference between the amount the health plan paid and the amount billed, known as a “surprise” or “balance” bill. The No Surprises Act contains several provisions to protect patients from receiving surprise bills. The Transparency in Coverage rules are aimed at helping patients understand the cost of a covered service before receiving care. The mandates were released in three phases. On July 1, 2022, most health plans were required to post pricing information for covered services to help consumers better understand their healthcare costs. The next set of requirements went into effect on January 1, 2023, and provided additional access to cost information and enhanced patients’ ability to shop for and choose care that best meets their needs. The final phase of the mandates, which goes into effect on January 1, 2024, requires the full release of pricing information for all services. Bill Kampine, co-founder and chief innovation officer at Healthcare Bluebook, said this about these first two phases: “Bluebook, along with many other organizations, spent a lot of time with legislators, their staffs, and administrators to help them understand to the benefit of self-insured employers, such as what are the financial consequences both for self-insured employers or plan sponsors and their members from lack of transparency in the system? We've gone through phase one. We've got the machine-readable file requirements, naturally we have the consumer tool requirements. The first of what I would call Version 1.0 was successfully launched, in our case, on January 1, 2023.” Success of the Mandates Compliance can be an overwhelming process, but solutions like Bluebook Comply™ can turn compliance into a strategic advantage. This solution helps self-insured employers, third-party administrators, and health plans understand, meet, and exceed deadlines for the No Surprises Act and Transparency in Coverage rules. After two years, Bluebook Comply includes: 24,000 hosted machine-readable files 586 available unique provider networks, and 18,000 total searchable medical procedures. Bluebook now serves: More than 50 third-party administrators and health plan partners 25,000 affiliated employer groups, and 4 million supported members For example, one of Bluebook’s public sector sharing trust clients implemented a series of best practices built into Bluebook’s compliance solution resulting in 24.5 percent average monthly utilization and $589,000 in savings in their first year. “We're getting a lot of really positive feedback in terms of how consumers use those tools,” shared Kampine. “The one thing personally that I find really exciting about this is this notion that the compliance regulations, while well intended for the consumer tools, are great from one standpoint. It is now required that any consumer have access to a transparency tool.” What’s Missing from the Mandates? Although the mandates protect consumers from surprise bills and help them understand the cost of procedures before receiving care, several key components must be addressed before healthcare is truly transparent. According to Kampine, “Pharmacy information, quality information, a focus on the total cost as opposed to your out-of-pocket cost, and ultimately benefit design and incentives that encourage people are missing from the mandates. As we march from Version 1.0 to 2.0—that includes all services—there's a tremendous influx of interest in: ‘OK, we understand that these are the compliance regulations. How do we add in all those other capabilities, that are really the cutting-edge capabilities, that enable us to do the things to affect what we're spending, to affect what our consumers are spending out of their own pockets, and what we as plan sponsors are spending?’” Ready to Make the Mandates Work to Your Advantage? Compliance with the Transparency in Coverage rules and the No Surprises Act can be a daunting process. But if we look at compliance from a different perspective, a unique opportunity exists to transform the experience into a business strategy. Download our guide to find out how Bluebook Comply can help your organization use compliance to your advantage.", "articleSection" : [ "Transparency in Coverage Rules and No Surprises Act", "Success of the Mandates", "What’s Missing from the Mandates?", "Ready to Make the Mandates Work to Your Advantage?" ], "author" : { "@id" : "https://blog.valenzhealth.com/author/valenz-health", "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Vālenz Health®", "url" : "https://blog.valenzhealth.com/author/valenz-health" }, "dateModified" : "2025-12-18T12:03:23-05:00", "datePublished" : "2023-08-09T14:14:58-04:00", "description" : "Learn how Bluebook Comply™ helps self-insured employers understand and meet key compliance requirements for the healthcare price transparency mandates..", "headline" : "How Healthcare Bluebook Began Transparency Well Before the Government Mandates", "image" : "https://1769848.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/1769848/Blog/AdobeStock_1547878920-1.jpeg", "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.valenzhealth.com/how-healthcare-bluebook-began-transparency-well-before-the-government-mandates", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@id" : "https://www.valenzhealth.com/", "@type" : "Organization", "areaServed" : "United States of America (USA)", "contactPoint" : { "@type" : "ContactPoint", "areaServed" : "United States of America (USA)", "availableLanguage" : [ "English" ], "contactType" : "Customer Service", "email" : "info@valenzhealth.com", "telephone" : "866-762-4455", "url" : "https://www.valenzhealth.com/contact/" }, "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.valenzhealth.com/hubfs/web/logo.svg" }, "name" : "Vālenz Health®", "sameAs" : [ "https://www.youtube.com/@valenzhealth", "https://www.linkedin.com/company/valenz/" ], "url" : "https://www.valenzhealth.com/" }, "url" : "https://blog.valenzhealth.com/how-healthcare-bluebook-began-transparency-well-before-the-government-mandates", "wordCount" : 835 } ```