Dr. Neel Shah, founder of the non-profit organization Cost of Care recently announced an essay contest with a $1000 prizes.
I encourage patients and clinicians to enter the essay contest. By sharing your stories, you will help other patients navigate the system.
The national essay contest offers $1000 prizes for the best anecdotes from patients and clinicians illustrating the importance of cost-awareness in medical decision-making.
Judges for the contest include:
Gov. Michael Dukakis, former Democratic nominee for President of the United States
Tim Johnson, Chief Medical Correspondent of ABC News
Atul Gawande, surgeon and New Yorker staff writer
Jeffrey Flier, Dean of Harvard Medical School
Gov. Michael Leavitt, former United States Secretary of Health and Human services
Entries must be no longer than 750 words, and should be typed and double-spaced. Students strongly encouraged to submit an anecdote. E-mail submissions to contest@costsofcare.org are preferred, however entries may also be mailed to
Costs of Care
21 Father Gilday Street, Suite 115
Boston, MA 02118
Deadline: November 1st, 2010
Additional submission information available here.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Angies List Partnership
Healthcare Blue Book is pleased to announce our partnership with Angie's List.
Angie's List has a lot of great health information in their health section.
Our full press release is below:
Angie’s List and Healthcare Blue Book Partner
to Help Consumers Save Money on Doctor Bills
After months of cracking open the secret that consumers can negotiate their medical bills, Angie’s List and Healthcare Blue Book today launched a service designed to help patients shop around for the best price before they even agree to treatment and incur those bills.
“So many of us overpay for health care for two reasons: medical billing is too complicated to figure out and we’re so used to not having any control over price, that we don’t even ask about it,” said Angie Hicks, founder of Angie’s List, the nation’s premier provider of consumer reviews on local doctors, dentists and service companies. “But you can save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars with just a little bit of effort and still get high quality care.”
A majority of the Angie’s List members (85 percent) responding to a nationwide online poll in July said health care providers should publish their prices, and 61 percent would happily shop around if only they knew the prices area providers charged. Only 25 percent of respondents said they ask about pricing before agreeing to treatment.
“The Healthcare Blue Book takes the mystery out of health care pricing,” said Dr. Jeffrey Rice, founder of the Healthcare Blue Book. “To get fair prices, patients must look up the accepted, average local prices and then make sure their provider agrees to that price before they get care.”
Consumers can sometimes successfully negotiate prices down once they’ve been billed. But Rice cautions, “It is often too late to get a fair price if you try to negotiate after you already received the care at an overpriced provider.”
Starting today on Angieslist.com, members can access Healthcare Blue Book’s local pricing information on visits ranging from ordinary pediatrician visits to complicated surgeries. Blue Book will also walk consumers through the negotiation process, and explain exactly what is required to get a fair price.
While the new tool is simple, Hicks and Rice said consumers may have a difficult time adjusting to this new way of looking at health care. Many consumers are savvy about price shopping for big ticket items like houses and cars, and smaller items like household products, but medical pricing has not traditionally been considered something to haggle over.
That will change, Hicks and Rice predict, once consumers realize, how big the price discrepancies can be. For example:
• In Washington, D.C., prices for an MRI of a right knee without contrast at five imaging centers ranged from $400 to $1504. The Healthcare Blue Book fair price: $912.
• An MRI of the abdomen at three Atlanta imaging labs with and without contrast ranged from $1,190 to $2,543, if payment was cash. The Healthcare Blue Book fair price: $836.
• Cost for an MRI of the lumbar spine with contrast ranged from $500 to $2,661 among eight Chicago hospitals and imaging centers. The Healthcare Blue Book fair price: $522.
In a May 2010 nationwide member poll, Angie’s List found that 57 percent of respondents have never negotiated a medical bill. Nearly 25 percent of them didn’t even know they had that option.
Hicks and Rice cautioned consumers from putting too much emphasis on price when it comes to medical care. Finding health care providers who meet your specific needs and have all the necessary licensing and training is paramount. With the Angie’s List and Healthcare Blue Book partnership, all that information is easily available in one location.
Patients with insurance should make sure they find in-network providers that charge fair rates. Patients without insurance are likely to be charged the highest fees. They particularly need to ask about prices and get agreement up front, Rice and Hicks said.
Angie’s List and Healthcare Blue Book’s Tips on Negotiating Your Medical Bill:
1. Know what you’re up against: Before you agree to a course of treatment, research what you need done, get information on the provider you’ve chosen and the local rate for that service on Healthcare Blue Book, so you know if the rates your doctor suggests are in line with them.
2. Ask for a discount. Cash (or immediate payment) is king in a medical facility, just as is it is with retailers and service companies. Ask if there’s a discount for upfront payment or a no-interest payment plan. Be sure to follow all applicable health insurance rules.
3. Get quotes in writing: If you are price shopping before you have a procedure done, get a signature, name and title to go along with the price quoted.
4. Cover every doctor in the room and the cost of the facility where treatment is given: When getting prices, be sure you cover all fees associated with your procedure, rather than just the surgical costs. (i.e. anesthesiologist, radiologist, facility fee, laboratory costs, etc.)
5. Be polite: Don’t be overly aggressive in seeking a discount. If you cannot afford what you need done, tell your provider. Some medical practices will alert you to payment options, but some may not be actively promoting them. Start with the office clerk you’d normally check out with, but don’t be afraid to ask for a billing manager if you don’t feel like you’re getting a full answer.
6. Review all the paperwork: If a bill seems out of line, ask about it. Check around to determine if the bill is in line with what other facilities charge. Call the billing department armed with your information and ask for the lower charge.
7. Call in expert help: Medical billing is so complex that it’s spawned a new industry of professional bill reviewers, sometimes called medical billing advocates. These specialists are trained to look for incorrect billing codes and duplicate charges. Check credentials before you hire, though. Experts say advocates average recovery of 17 to 49 percent and charge an average contingency fee of about 30 percent. Some charge flat fees, as well.
-----
1,237 Angie’s List members responded to the May online poll. 1,015 Angie’s List members responded to the July online poll.
-----
Angie’s List collects consumer reviews on local contractors and doctors in more than 500 service categories. Currently, more than 1 million consumers across the U.S. rely on Angie’s List to help them make the best hiring decisions. Members get unlimited access to local ratings via Internet or phone, exclusive discounts, the Angie’s List magazine and help from the Angie’s List complaint resolution service. Take a quick tour of Angie’s List and view the latest Angie’s List news.
Healthcarebluebook.com, headquartered in Nashville, TN, is a healthcare pricing tool that helps consumers and companies determine what fair prices are for healthcare services and treatments in their markets. The www.healthcarebluebook.com web site can be customized to employers’ needs by offering information that allows employees to identify lower cost and high quality providers within their existing employer-sponsored health plan.
Angie's List has a lot of great health information in their health section.
Our full press release is below:
Angie’s List and Healthcare Blue Book Partner
to Help Consumers Save Money on Doctor Bills
After months of cracking open the secret that consumers can negotiate their medical bills, Angie’s List and Healthcare Blue Book today launched a service designed to help patients shop around for the best price before they even agree to treatment and incur those bills.
“So many of us overpay for health care for two reasons: medical billing is too complicated to figure out and we’re so used to not having any control over price, that we don’t even ask about it,” said Angie Hicks, founder of Angie’s List, the nation’s premier provider of consumer reviews on local doctors, dentists and service companies. “But you can save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars with just a little bit of effort and still get high quality care.”
A majority of the Angie’s List members (85 percent) responding to a nationwide online poll in July said health care providers should publish their prices, and 61 percent would happily shop around if only they knew the prices area providers charged. Only 25 percent of respondents said they ask about pricing before agreeing to treatment.
“The Healthcare Blue Book takes the mystery out of health care pricing,” said Dr. Jeffrey Rice, founder of the Healthcare Blue Book. “To get fair prices, patients must look up the accepted, average local prices and then make sure their provider agrees to that price before they get care.”
Consumers can sometimes successfully negotiate prices down once they’ve been billed. But Rice cautions, “It is often too late to get a fair price if you try to negotiate after you already received the care at an overpriced provider.”
Starting today on Angieslist.com, members can access Healthcare Blue Book’s local pricing information on visits ranging from ordinary pediatrician visits to complicated surgeries. Blue Book will also walk consumers through the negotiation process, and explain exactly what is required to get a fair price.
While the new tool is simple, Hicks and Rice said consumers may have a difficult time adjusting to this new way of looking at health care. Many consumers are savvy about price shopping for big ticket items like houses and cars, and smaller items like household products, but medical pricing has not traditionally been considered something to haggle over.
That will change, Hicks and Rice predict, once consumers realize, how big the price discrepancies can be. For example:
• In Washington, D.C., prices for an MRI of a right knee without contrast at five imaging centers ranged from $400 to $1504. The Healthcare Blue Book fair price: $912.
• An MRI of the abdomen at three Atlanta imaging labs with and without contrast ranged from $1,190 to $2,543, if payment was cash. The Healthcare Blue Book fair price: $836.
• Cost for an MRI of the lumbar spine with contrast ranged from $500 to $2,661 among eight Chicago hospitals and imaging centers. The Healthcare Blue Book fair price: $522.
In a May 2010 nationwide member poll, Angie’s List found that 57 percent of respondents have never negotiated a medical bill. Nearly 25 percent of them didn’t even know they had that option.
Hicks and Rice cautioned consumers from putting too much emphasis on price when it comes to medical care. Finding health care providers who meet your specific needs and have all the necessary licensing and training is paramount. With the Angie’s List and Healthcare Blue Book partnership, all that information is easily available in one location.
Patients with insurance should make sure they find in-network providers that charge fair rates. Patients without insurance are likely to be charged the highest fees. They particularly need to ask about prices and get agreement up front, Rice and Hicks said.
Angie’s List and Healthcare Blue Book’s Tips on Negotiating Your Medical Bill:
1. Know what you’re up against: Before you agree to a course of treatment, research what you need done, get information on the provider you’ve chosen and the local rate for that service on Healthcare Blue Book, so you know if the rates your doctor suggests are in line with them.
2. Ask for a discount. Cash (or immediate payment) is king in a medical facility, just as is it is with retailers and service companies. Ask if there’s a discount for upfront payment or a no-interest payment plan. Be sure to follow all applicable health insurance rules.
3. Get quotes in writing: If you are price shopping before you have a procedure done, get a signature, name and title to go along with the price quoted.
4. Cover every doctor in the room and the cost of the facility where treatment is given: When getting prices, be sure you cover all fees associated with your procedure, rather than just the surgical costs. (i.e. anesthesiologist, radiologist, facility fee, laboratory costs, etc.)
5. Be polite: Don’t be overly aggressive in seeking a discount. If you cannot afford what you need done, tell your provider. Some medical practices will alert you to payment options, but some may not be actively promoting them. Start with the office clerk you’d normally check out with, but don’t be afraid to ask for a billing manager if you don’t feel like you’re getting a full answer.
6. Review all the paperwork: If a bill seems out of line, ask about it. Check around to determine if the bill is in line with what other facilities charge. Call the billing department armed with your information and ask for the lower charge.
7. Call in expert help: Medical billing is so complex that it’s spawned a new industry of professional bill reviewers, sometimes called medical billing advocates. These specialists are trained to look for incorrect billing codes and duplicate charges. Check credentials before you hire, though. Experts say advocates average recovery of 17 to 49 percent and charge an average contingency fee of about 30 percent. Some charge flat fees, as well.
-----
1,237 Angie’s List members responded to the May online poll. 1,015 Angie’s List members responded to the July online poll.
-----
Angie’s List collects consumer reviews on local contractors and doctors in more than 500 service categories. Currently, more than 1 million consumers across the U.S. rely on Angie’s List to help them make the best hiring decisions. Members get unlimited access to local ratings via Internet or phone, exclusive discounts, the Angie’s List magazine and help from the Angie’s List complaint resolution service. Take a quick tour of Angie’s List and view the latest Angie’s List news.
Healthcarebluebook.com, headquartered in Nashville, TN, is a healthcare pricing tool that helps consumers and companies determine what fair prices are for healthcare services and treatments in their markets. The www.healthcarebluebook.com web site can be customized to employers’ needs by offering information that allows employees to identify lower cost and high quality providers within their existing employer-sponsored health plan.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Doctors and Transparency
Anna Mathews wrote a nice article in the WSJ recently.
The article states that several organizations including the American Medical Association are criticizing the growing efforts by health plans to steer patients toward certain physicians based on cost or quality. The groups sent their arguments in a letter to insurers stating that the rankings may be unreliable and unfair. "There are serious flaws in health insurers' programs to try to rate individual physicians," said Cecil Wilson, president of the AMA.
Well, no doubt rating systems aren't perfect. They probably never will be.
But where are the AMA rating tools and transparency tools? Are there any physician organization leading the effort to improve quality ratings and make costs fair and transparent?
Patients want information on cost and quality. They will use the best information they can find.
If the AMA doesn't like the available rating tools, then they should take a leadership role in developing better ones.
The Healthcare Blue Book has helped thousands of patients find fair prices for care. It will be great to add the AMA's quality and cost information when they decide to share it.
The article states that several organizations including the American Medical Association are criticizing the growing efforts by health plans to steer patients toward certain physicians based on cost or quality. The groups sent their arguments in a letter to insurers stating that the rankings may be unreliable and unfair. "There are serious flaws in health insurers' programs to try to rate individual physicians," said Cecil Wilson, president of the AMA.
Well, no doubt rating systems aren't perfect. They probably never will be.
But where are the AMA rating tools and transparency tools? Are there any physician organization leading the effort to improve quality ratings and make costs fair and transparent?
Patients want information on cost and quality. They will use the best information they can find.
If the AMA doesn't like the available rating tools, then they should take a leadership role in developing better ones.
The Healthcare Blue Book has helped thousands of patients find fair prices for care. It will be great to add the AMA's quality and cost information when they decide to share it.
Another TV spot
Healthcare Blue Book was recently recommened on the Today Show.
Check out the video here.
Here is a link to an LA times article we participated in as well.
We appreciate those who are helping to spread the word to patients.
If patients will review prices before they seek care, they are likely to improve the quality of their care and save $1000's too.
Check out the video here.
Here is a link to an LA times article we participated in as well.
We appreciate those who are helping to spread the word to patients.
If patients will review prices before they seek care, they are likely to improve the quality of their care and save $1000's too.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Healthcare Blue Book in the News
Healthcare Blue Book was included in 2 recent TV shows.
We did an interview for a story by Susan Koeppen on The Early Show on CBS News. You can see the full story and interview with Dr. Jeffrey Rice on the link above.
NBC 12 in Virginia also did a feature news cast on Healthcare Blue Book. You can see the interview with Aimee Stern and story here.
We did an interview for a story by Susan Koeppen on The Early Show on CBS News. You can see the full story and interview with Dr. Jeffrey Rice on the link above.
NBC 12 in Virginia also did a feature news cast on Healthcare Blue Book. You can see the interview with Aimee Stern and story here.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Soceity of Acutuaries Support Pricing Transparency
The Society of Actuaries released a study supporting the need for pricing and quality transparency in health care.
In a recent release, Actuaries Believe More Transparency in the U.S. Healthcare System Would Help Bend the Cost Curve Downward, they report that creating more transparency between doctors and patients, and the provider community and patients, will be an effective approach at bending the cost curve downward. For example, 86 percent of the surveyed healthcare actuaries recommend making prices for treatments more visible and available for patients. Seventy-nine percent recommend educating consumers and providers on the efficacy of care.
In a separate survey they conducted of consumers, they found that two-thirds of those surveyed support the actuaries' recommendations on the benefits of transparency. Specifically, thirty-seven percent of consumers feel they could better control their own healthcare costs if healthcare providers – or their insurance company – told them about the costs of medical services and the quality of the outcome of procedures. And thirty percent feel they could better control their healthcare costs if, before administering a medical procedure, their physician informed them about the costs of the procedure, the number of times he/she has performed the procedure, and its results.
Healthcare Blue Book is working with provider groups, employers and insurance companies to promote pricing and quality transparency. Employers see transparency as one of the best ways to improve quality and lower costs.
In a recent release, Actuaries Believe More Transparency in the U.S. Healthcare System Would Help Bend the Cost Curve Downward, they report that creating more transparency between doctors and patients, and the provider community and patients, will be an effective approach at bending the cost curve downward. For example, 86 percent of the surveyed healthcare actuaries recommend making prices for treatments more visible and available for patients. Seventy-nine percent recommend educating consumers and providers on the efficacy of care.
In a separate survey they conducted of consumers, they found that two-thirds of those surveyed support the actuaries' recommendations on the benefits of transparency. Specifically, thirty-seven percent of consumers feel they could better control their own healthcare costs if healthcare providers – or their insurance company – told them about the costs of medical services and the quality of the outcome of procedures. And thirty percent feel they could better control their healthcare costs if, before administering a medical procedure, their physician informed them about the costs of the procedure, the number of times he/she has performed the procedure, and its results.
Healthcare Blue Book is working with provider groups, employers and insurance companies to promote pricing and quality transparency. Employers see transparency as one of the best ways to improve quality and lower costs.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Federal Legislation for Pricing Transparency?
The House has 3 bills under consideration for promoting health care pricing transparency. Unfortunately, there is no commitment for moving the legislation through this year. And no bills introduced in the Senate yet.
The worst indication of where this may be heading came from Frank Pallone, chairman of the Energy and Commerce health subcommittee. “The concern I guess is about the unintended consequences of too much transparency,” he said. Apparently he believes such transparency will make prices go higher since Peter Orszag stated so back in 2008. If we assume that future health benefits will preserve the worst parts of the insurance models, then maybe that is possible.
However, if we look at private reform and adopt the newer benefit designs with consumerism, then we are much more likely to see prices fall as consumers engage in their care decisions.
Until the legislature brings meaningful pricing disclosure requirements, consumers can find fair price estimates for free at Healthcare Blue Book.
The three bill were summarized by California HealthLine
Bill Details
HR 4700: The bill -- sponsored by Rep. Steve Kagan (D-Wis.) without any Republican support -- would require hospitals, physicians, nurses, pharmacies, and a number of manufacturers and vendors to disclose publicly the prices they would charge patients. The HHS secretary would levy a fine on providers and vendors that fail to comply with the requirement (Ethridge, CQ Today, 5/6).
HR 2249: Cosponsored by Texas Reps. Gene Green (D) and Michael Burgess (R), the bill calls for transparency in hospital charges (Pecquet, "Blog Briefing Room," The Hill, 5/6). The legislation also would expand reporting requirements to all 50 states and require insurance companies to disclose out-of-pocket cost estimates for a number of medical procedures (Reichard, CQ HealthBeat, 5/6).
HR 4803: The proposal, sponsored by House Energy and Commerce Committee ranking member Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) with broad Democratic support, would cover ambulatory surgical centers serving patients who are not hospitalized after their operation ("Blog Briefing Room," The Hill, 5/6). It would require the centers, as well as hospitals and private and public health insurers, to disclose to their patients and customers information about the costs for services they provide and the items and services that they cover, respectively (CQ Today, 5/6).
See also comments at:
The Hill
The worst indication of where this may be heading came from Frank Pallone, chairman of the Energy and Commerce health subcommittee. “The concern I guess is about the unintended consequences of too much transparency,” he said. Apparently he believes such transparency will make prices go higher since Peter Orszag stated so back in 2008. If we assume that future health benefits will preserve the worst parts of the insurance models, then maybe that is possible.
However, if we look at private reform and adopt the newer benefit designs with consumerism, then we are much more likely to see prices fall as consumers engage in their care decisions.
Until the legislature brings meaningful pricing disclosure requirements, consumers can find fair price estimates for free at Healthcare Blue Book.
The three bill were summarized by California HealthLine
Bill Details
HR 4700: The bill -- sponsored by Rep. Steve Kagan (D-Wis.) without any Republican support -- would require hospitals, physicians, nurses, pharmacies, and a number of manufacturers and vendors to disclose publicly the prices they would charge patients. The HHS secretary would levy a fine on providers and vendors that fail to comply with the requirement (Ethridge, CQ Today, 5/6).
HR 2249: Cosponsored by Texas Reps. Gene Green (D) and Michael Burgess (R), the bill calls for transparency in hospital charges (Pecquet, "Blog Briefing Room," The Hill, 5/6). The legislation also would expand reporting requirements to all 50 states and require insurance companies to disclose out-of-pocket cost estimates for a number of medical procedures (Reichard, CQ HealthBeat, 5/6).
HR 4803: The proposal, sponsored by House Energy and Commerce Committee ranking member Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) with broad Democratic support, would cover ambulatory surgical centers serving patients who are not hospitalized after their operation ("Blog Briefing Room," The Hill, 5/6). It would require the centers, as well as hospitals and private and public health insurers, to disclose to their patients and customers information about the costs for services they provide and the items and services that they cover, respectively (CQ Today, 5/6).
See also comments at:
The Hill
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