New transparency rules are generating vast amounts of pricing information; however, the health care industry is finding that while collecting data is one thing, making sense of it can be something else entirely

"The original intent was for a consumer to be able to understand what a procedure would cost and be able to compare and make choices," said David Cardelle, chief strategy officer for Advanced Medical Strategies. "To be honest, it is extremely difficult for a consumer to be able to do that. I have tried it myself, and you quickly see that it's apples to oranges."

Cardelle shared his thoughts during his session, "A Fair Price: Getting to and Understanding Hospital and Provider Pricing" during the recent Self-Insurance Institute of America's (SIIA) Price Transparency Forum in Kansas City. He compared the current state of transparency to the first inning of a baseball game or a restaurant menu with prices for only half of the items.