Health Care Cost Transparency, Surprise Billing, and the Employee Benefits Industry
Typically, patients, and their employers, don\'t know the cost of health care or are given inaccurate estimates. Then come the surprise medical bills and costly overruns of employers' benefits budgets. Here\'s a look at the health care cost transparency problem and how people are trying to solve it.
August 17, 2018
My wife's story: Anatomy of an insane health care billing systemThe purchase of medical goods and services by employer health plans resembles no other business transaction in American commerce.
May 13, 2019
Hospitals charge employers 240% more than MedicarePrices range from 150 percent of Medicare prices at the low end to 400 percent at the high end.
May 24, 2019
Alexander, Murray introduce bipartisan bill to end surprise billsThe mammoth piece of legislation would target nearly every area of the health care industry for reform, including prescription drugs, transparency and health information.
May 10, 2019
Transforming health care with transparency: 4 considerations beyond priceWhile the renewed focus on the potential for cost transparency to transform the patient experience is exciting, we hope it will stay grounded in just how difficult it is to execute on this vision.
May 30, 2019
Report: Health care price variation costs $18 billion a yearConsumers often don't know how much variation there is in health care services between providers, and it's costing them.
June 07, 2019
Hospitals and health systems too slow In responding to consumer demandsAccording to consumers, health systems are coming up short on digital access, price transparency and affordability of care.
May 29, 2019
California takes aim at surprise billing for emergency servicesLawmakers are now trying to close gaps in the state's surprise billing law and limit how much hospitals can charge for out-of-network emergency care.
May 23, 2019
3 takeaways from the House's 'surprise bill' hearingH.R. 861, would require any hospital seeking to participate in Medicare to provide any out-of-network insured patients with detailed cost notices.
January 14, 2019
Posted hospital prices may be confusing, but it's an important first step, CMS saysHospitals are now required to post their chargemaster prices online, but the information is confusing and often unintelligible.
April 03, 2019
Surprise bills hit 1 in 7 patientsFlorida residents see the greatest number of surprise bills, while Minnesota sees the least.