June 2, 2024

Healthcare Price Transparency — Simplified

June 2, 2024

For most people, navigating healthcare pricing is kind of like trying to shop at the supermarket without any price tags.

Even if they take the time to ask, they may only get a partial answer. This is the opposite of healthcare price transparency.

With complicated medical bills involving hospitals, insurance, and middlemen, it’s no wonder people are confused, surprised, and frustrated all at once.

Not to mention the employers, and other insurance providers, helping foot the bill for unnecessary charges.

In this article, you’ll learn about:
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  • What healthcare price transparency is
  • The effects of untransparent healthcare prices
  • The benefits of transparent healthcare pricing
  • Healthee’s solution to make healthcare completely and utterly transparent at the click of a button. Woohoo! 

Please note that although this article is meant to help finance professionals, the ideas are the same for anyone interested in how healthcare price transparency works.

What is price transparency in healthcare?

Healthcare price transparency means having complete access to the costs of medical services, treatments, and procedures, including associated costs such as deductibles and co-payments.

This transparency should extend to information about:

  • Pricing, including detailed breakdowns of costs for medical services, such as doctor’s visits, surgeries, diagnostic tests, and prescription medications.
  • Negotiated rates to incorporate the previously negotiated rates between insurers and providers into the pricing displays.
  • Insurance coverage, including deductibles, co-pays, and out-of-pocket maximums.

Why is price transparency important in healthcare?

Price transparency in healthcare is vital for providing people with sufficient information they need to make informed decisions (i.e. so they won’t get ripped off but they will get the services they need).

For employers, and other insurance providers, this can also translate to lower company costs each time someone chooses the more cost-effective option.

“Surprising” consequences of opaque healthcare pricing

Here are a few of the ways that opaque healthcare pricing brings pain and suffering to so many unfortunate people.

Surprise medical bills (and expenses)
It doesn’t matter how much you love surprises. There’s one surprise that you never want to see.

It’s those unexpected medical bills.

When there’s a lack of transparency in healthcare pricing, employees can be hit with unexpected and often exorbitant medical bills.

Pricing variability

Fact: the price of the same medical procedure can vary greatly between healthcare facilities.
Fact: without price transparency, patients don’t know how much they’ll be paying.
Results: This situation can create substantial cost disparities for your company and employees, making it difficult to budget effectively.

Inefficient resource allocation

Without clear pricing information, some services may be overutilized, while others may be underutilized. This inefficient allocation of resources can lead to higher healthcare expenses and decreased quality of care.

Financial stress

Lack of clarity on healthcare bills and price estimates can stress your employees financially — not to mention physically. This stress can, in turn, affect their job performance and overall well-being, potentially impacting your organization’s productivity and employee satisfaction.

Reduced employee satisfaction

For the reasons above, opaque pricing may reduce trust and satisfaction in your company’s benefits.
Employees may feel they are not provided with enough tools to make informed healthcare decisions, which can reduce job satisfaction and potentially impact talent retention and recruitment efforts. Spoiler alert: Healthee can help with that.

Now that we’ve explored the dangers and pitfalls of opaque healthcare pricing, let’s have some fun with the benefits of transparent healthcare pricing:

Benefits of transparent healthcare pricing

Let’s go back to the begining of this article where our friendly shopper is going to the grocery store, but this time, instead of not seeing any prices, price tags are clearly labeled, and the price tags even tell you if the product is on sale and, if so, how much the final price will be. And not only that, every time they put something into their cart, it tells you how much everything will cost. And not only THAT, but it will also let him know of other products that either have higher ratings or are less expensive.

Welcome to a world with total price transparency. Some may say we’re dreamers, but here are the benefits of applying the dream to healthcare:

Cost control

It’s easier to keep track of your spending in real time when costs are clear and employees are empowered to make informed decisions, which can also reduce overall spending. It also give you negotiation power with insurance providers and having a good idea of budget costs can help you be more proactive about implementing programs for employees.

Hence, you’ll gain the power to control and manage healthcare costs within your organization.

Cost predictability

Transparent pricing can help you predict and budget for healthcare expenses, allowing for effective financial planning and avoiding unexpected financial shocks.

Better negotiation

Pricing transparency can also facilitate more effective negotiations with healthcare providers and insurers. With pricing information at your fingertips, you could engage in informed discussions and secure favorable terms with confidence, potentially reducing overall expenses for your company and employees.

Enhanced employee wellness

Perhaps the most significant benefit of transparent pricing is improving employee wellness. When your employees have access to clear-cost information, they’re more likely to seek timely medical care, preventive services, and necessary treatments without worrying about hidden charges.

Employee wellness leads to a more productive workforce, reducing absenteeism and promoting overall well-being.

In short, transparent healthcare pricing is a game-changer.

It gives you the tools to make cost-effective, informed healthcare decisions while promoting employee wellness and engagement.

Is the US healthcare system transparent?

Unfortunately, the American healthcare system isn’t always as clear and transparent as one would like.

Here are a few reasons why:

Lack of standardization

In contrast to other industries with common standardized pricing (such as transportation), the medical field lacks a uniform pricing procedure and service framework. This lack of standardization contributes to the total cost opacity.

Complex billing processes

The US healthcare system is notorious for its complex billing processes.

The use of numerous codes, intricate billing systems, and a lack of standardization can make it challenging for employers and employees to decipher medical bills and understand the true costs of healthcare services.

Confidential negotiations

The negotiations between healthcare providers and insurance companies are often confidential, with prices and contracts hidden from the public.

This lack of transparency in these negotiations can result in higher healthcare costs and an inability to evaluate the fairness of pricing.

Fragmented system

The healthcare system in the United States is highly fragmented, with multiple healthcare providers, insurance companies, and regulatory bodies.

This fragmentation leads to a lack of centralized information and consistency in pricing, making it difficult to obtain a clear picture of the cost of healthcare.

Limited consumer power

Historically, consumers in the US have had limited power and information when it comes to healthcare decision-making. A lack of consumer empowerment has allowed healthcare costs to rise without adequate checks and balances.

But wait, there’s hope!

Recognizing these challenges within the US healthcare system is the first step toward achieving greater transparency and cost control.

That leads us to the next question…

What are the solutions to the problem?

Mandated price transparency

In recent years, there has been a push for greater transparency through government regulations.

Since 2021, hospitals must disclose standard pricing information and payer-specific negotiated rates for the most frequent healthcare services under the Hospital Price Transparency rule.

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), most corporate health plans and group or individual health insurance issuers are providing pricing information for eligible items> and services as of July 1, 2022.

CMS monitors a sample of hospitals and reviews complaints made to CMS, and hospitals may face civil financial penalties for noncompliance.

Starting on January 1, 2023, more access to pricing information has been provided to help consumers figure out the healthcare that best suits their needs. On January 1, 2024, the project will reach its “final stage.”

Direct contracting

Some companies are exploring direct contracting with providers. This approach involves negotiating directly with hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities to secure favorable rates and transparent pricing.

Healthcare price comparison tools

Various online tools and applications like Healthee have emerged, allowing individuals to compare healthcare prices for specific procedures, services, and prescription medications.

With Healthee’s AI-driven healthcare navigation solutions, your employees can review their options and pick the best provider or procedure based on their budget, location, and health concerns.

Healthee is the most technologically advanced, end-to-end healthcare navigation solution in the industry. Its AI-driven benefits platform is everything employees need to navigate their health benefits — from choosing a plan to billing and everything in between.

A screenshot or GIF displaying use of Healthee’s plan comparison feature

Making use of these resources can assist you and your staff in making well-informed choices about healthcare.

 

Employee education

Ensuring your employees are well-informed about healthcare costs and choices is crucial.

Provide educational resources and guidance to empower your workforce to make practical healthcare decisions, reducing unnecessary expenses. Healthee’s AI assistant (Zoe) swiftly and accurately responds to their healthcare concerns. You can learn more about Zoe here. Explore these options and introduce them into your company’s healthcare benefits strategy. You can proactively address the challenges of transparency in healthcare pricing. This will not only result in cost reduction but also improve the overall healthcare experience for your employees. Are you ready to take charge of your company’s healthcare finance? Book a demo with Healthee now to witness the difference!

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