Health care costs have increased three times faster than wages over the past decade. Just like any marketplace, prices for medical procedures, equipment and treatments vary dramatically among providers. An appendectomy can cost anywhere from $1,529 to $186,990. A hip replacement could run from $11,100 to $125,798. But trying to determine the actual price you’ll pay — or the one you should be paying — can be daunting for the average consumer. And once that pricing information is available, how can we aggregate and utilize it to make health care more affordable for everyone? Here, we’ve broken down the issue of health care price transparency and profiled fourteen exciting, effective and innovative organizations that support it in different ways.
“In 2014, we make purchasing decisions for every other commodity based on transparent price and quality information. Why not healthcare, too?” — Dr. Neel Shah, Costs of Care
American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation (ABIM) — Choosing Wisely
California Health Care Foundation (CHCF)
Castlight Health
Catalyst for Payment Reform
Clear Health Costs
Change Healthcare
Costs of Care
Council for Affordable Health Insurance (CAHI)
Emergency Care Research Institute (ECRI)
FAIR Health
Healthcare Bluebook
Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI)
Health Care Incentives Improvement Institute
Health Care Financial Management Association (HFMA) – Price Transparency Task Force
Read the full article here.
Contact Steven G. Cosby, MHSA with questions or to request more information and to schedule a healthcare plan evaluation, savings analysis or group plan solution for your company.
