$1,600 Swing for Same Blood Test
"A medical services provider in Tempe charges less than $15 for a common blood test called a comprehensive metabolic panel", according to an article in The Arizona Republic. "The $1,615 price difference is enough to cause high-blood pressure for consumers trying to manage health care expenses. It's also illustrative of an industry that's largely immune to competitive pricing pressure." Medical Pricepoint can help you identify potential savings in advance.
Health-care Costs: It’s Time for Patients to Take Control
"Health reforms will have little meaningful effect on prices that continue to outpace inflation unless consumers get in the game and start to push back, experts say," according to an article published on Market Watch. "They agree that if the U.S. is to maintain a free-market style of health care, those who buy health plans need to be active players in the system. Just as they would when buying a car or purchasing groceries, health-care consumers need to have enough information to know what a fair price is and to have enough leverage to demand that price." Medical Pricepointhelps reduce the cost of health care for patients and employers with market-based health care service bids.
Insured Patients are Liable for Even Greater Out-of-Pocket Payments
"The inability of consumers to pay the high-deductible portion of their health coverage will create a crisis of liquidity that will grow as more and more consumers migrate to High Deductible Health Plans," according to an article published in Managed Care. The article was co-written by David Gibson, MD, Vice President of Provider Relations at Medical Pricepointand Peter Boland, PhD, President of Boland Healthcare.
"The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is increasing patients' exposure to liability. When employees seek coverage through the ACA's health insurance exchanges, they are encountering higher-than-expected out-of-pocket costs. The maximum amount a consumer with single coverage will pay out of pocket in 2014 will generally be $6,350, while a family could pay up to $12,700. Those totals include copayments and deductibles, but not premiums, and they apply only to plans that are not grandfathered under the law.
The consequences of transferring financial liability to consumers are significant. As employees take on higher and higher deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments, they shoulder much of the financial risk traditionally borne by defined-benefit plans."
Medical Pricepoint helps patients understand and minimize their financial risk, typically resulting in significant savings to patients.
Patients Paying More Upfront for Care
"Doctors and hospitals increasingly are asking insured patients to pay more of their bills for elective procedures at the time of the service, rather than collecting a small fee upfront and waiting until later to get the rest of what's owed" according to an article featured in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "A fundamental shift in coverage is prompting the change: the rise of high-deductible insurance plans". Medical Pricepointcan help reduce or eliminate the amount of patient out of pocket costs. Join Medical Pricepointtoday to miniumize your financial risk.
What’s it cost to have a baby? Try $3,000 — or $37,000
"What does it cost to have a baby in a hospital in California? Anywhere between $3,000 and $37,000 researchers found" according to an article featured on NBC News. Such wide spreads are well known to Medical Pricepoint. Is it due to quality? Location? Length of stay? No, usually its becasue the patient does not understand how to work with health care providers to achieve high value; high quality at a reasonable price. Medical Pricepointis The Patient's Financial Advocate and help ensure you are not overpaying for health care costs.
Medical Pricepoint Saves Member Credit Rating
Did you know late payments for health care costs can ruin your credit rating? Medical Pricepointhelped a member negotiate a favorable payment settlement with a collection agency and at the same time eliminated all negative information sent to the credit bureaus, protecting our member's credit rating.
Patients Mired in Costly Credit From Doctors
A New York Times article states "In dentists' and doctors' offices, hearing aid centers and pain clinics, American health care is forging a lucrative alliance with American finance. A growing number of health care professionals are urging patients to pay for treatment not covered by their insurance plans with credit cards and lines of credit that can be arranged quickly in the provider's office...While medical credit cards resemble other credit cards, there is a critical difference: they are usually marketed by caregivers to patients, often at vulnerable times, such as when those patients are in pain or when their providers have recommended care they cannot readily afford." Medical Pricepointis "The Patient's Financial Advocate," helping patients understand their financial risks and minimize their costs.
Personal Out-of-Pocket Costs Rise as Overall Healthcare Spending Declines
A new report from the Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI) states that Americans are paying more and more out of their own pockets. The report found that out-of-pocket spending per person increased 4.8 percent. Nearly half of all out-of-pocket dollars went to professional procedures, such as doctor visits or lab tests, according to the HCCI report. The report also indicates that women spent approximately $200 more than men. Medical Pricepointcan help you reduce the financial impact of health care procedures.
Member Saves $38,000
A Medical Pricepointmember required an inpatient stay at a national hospital part of a national system. Our member's health insurance plan had questioned the benefits because of plan limitations. Medical Pricepointworked with the plan and our member obtain approval for the charges. Medical Pricepoint was able to coordinate discounts and payments to reduce our member's liability from $41,000 to $3,000, a savings of $38,000!
New Database Reveals Adjacent Hospitals Charging $200,000 Difference For Same Procedure How Much Will You Pay?
A new federal database of hospital prices shows a massive disparity in medical costs according to an article featured on TechCrunch. "Average inpatient charges for services a hospital may provide in connection with a joint replacement range from a low of $5,300 at a hospital in Ada, Oklahoma, to a high of $223,000 at a hospital in Monterey Park, California. Even within the same geographic area," said Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius." A similar report on NBCNEWS.com stated "New hospital data shows giant swings in prices". Don't wait until it's too late - Medical Pricepointwill help you to understand health care costs in advance and help you obtain the best price.
Member Saves $39,000
A Medical Pricepointmember wanted her baby delivered at a specific hospital. The hospital responded to a request for a Medical Pricepointcash bid and our member was able to secure a price of $1,700 for a 3 day admission, labor and delivery, and all ancillary charges – a $39,000 savings. Medical Pricepointconvinced the insurance plan to reimburse our member for 100% of the costs! The hospital was happy to earn a positive review from the community.
Member Saves $100,000
A member contacted Medical Pricepointregarding the cost of treatment for a critical illness. Medical Pricepointcontacted the hospital on behalf of the member to negotiate a reasonable fee structure. The hospital refused reasonable payment amount, insisting on fees far beyond health plan limits which would have cost the member over $100,000. Medical Pricepointworked with the member and the health plan's utilization management company to identify several alternative providers willing to take over care. The member switched providers and saved over $100,000.
Member Saves $16,000
Our member had initially found a surgeon to perform a minor surgery that could not be done at a clinic. Prior to contacting Medical Pricepoint, the surgery was scheduled at a large hospital known for expensive billing practices. Medical Pricepointunderstood the member had allegiance to the surgeon, but not the location of the services. Medical Pricepointsuggested and the member and surgeon agreed to perform the surgery at a less expensive high quality ambulatory surgery center, saving the member and the plan over $16,000.
New Database Reveals Adjacent Hospitals Charging $200,000 Difference for Same Procedure
A new federal database of hospital prices shows a massive disparity in medical costs according to an article featured on TechCrunch. “Average inpatient charges for services a hospital may provide in connection with a joint replacement range from a low of $5,300 at a hospital in Ada, Oklahoma, to a high of $223,000 at a hospital in Monterey Park, California. Even within the same geographic area,” said Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius." A similar report on NBCNEWS.com stated "New hospital data shows giant swings in prices".
Medical Pricepoint has been highlighting such difference on its websites for several years. Our Medical Pricepointhelp patients avoid financial risk related to complex health care pricing.
Member Saves $12,000
Our member received a balance bill from a neonatology group that cared for their newborn son after a stint in the NICU. The member belonged to a PPO and the hospital was in network with the PPO. Unfortunately, to the member's surprise, the neonatology group was not in their health plan's network. When the neonatology group submitted their claims they were reimbursed at the out of network level of benefit. Subsequently the neonatology group attempted to collect the balance of the bill from the member. Medical Pricepointnegotiated a deal with the neonatology group to accept the health plan's payment limit, saving the member approximately $12,000.
Member Saves $3,500
Our member was part of a PPO network. They went to an in-network surgeon for their service. Unfortunately, the surgery was performed at an out of network facility, using an out of network anesthesiologist. Our member was left with a bill of $3,900. Medical Pricepointnegotiated the member’s liability down to $400. Additionally, the provider was willing to work on a payment plan for that balance. This represented a $3,500 savings for our member.
How Much Will Surgery Cost? Good Luck Finding Out (NBC News)
"Consumers looking to buy a new car or a computer can shop around for the right price, but when it comes to health care, it's difficult to even find out ahead of time how much a procedure will cost" according to an article featured at NBC.com. "And when patients do find out, the cost can vary by thousands of dollars, depending on the hospital, according to a study released on Monday."
Unfortunately , much of the cost is now being shifted to unaware patients. Don't let this happen to you. Contact us to learn how we can help identufy health care's financial risks.
U.S. Health Care: It's Officially a Mess, Institute Says
"It’s a mess, the Institute of Medicine says" in an article featured at NBC.com. "The U. S. health care system wasted $750 billion in 2009, about 30% of all health spending... So what would happen if shopping were like U.S. health care? Product prices would not be posted, and the price charged would vary widely within the same store, depending on the source of payment,” the report says. See the entire article here.
Medical Pricepoint is the Patient's Financial Advocate. Our goal is to help you understand value, both quality and cost, upfront to minimize your financial risk.
Medical Bills Drive Many U.S. Women Into Debt, Report Finds
MSNBC today featured a health article stating that 26% of U. S. women had trouble paying medical bills, more than double the rate anywhere else surveyed. See the entire article here. Medical Pricepointis the Patient's Financial Advocate. Our goal is to help you identify and minimize your financial risk.
New York Times "Getting Lost in the Labyrinth of Medical Bills
The New York Times "Your Money" section featured "Getting Lost in the Labyrinth of Medical Bills", describing the "broken" medical billing system. Read this article to learn more about the complexities of medical billing.
Patient Purchasing Assistant Saves Customer 27% on Health Care Stop-Loss Premiums
Medical Pricepoint saved a new customer 27% of its annual stop-loss premiums, generating an immediate return on investment and more than paying for the cost of Medical Pricepoint. Integrating Medical Pricepointas an integral part of the customer's health benefit plan will yield even more savings to patients and the employer sponsored health plan.
ABC News "Patients in the Dark on Medical Costs"
ABC News "World News with Diane Sawyer" reported that uncomplicated procedures could cost a lot more than you think. "After reviewing charges from more than 19,000 patients, the researchers found that the cost for treatment of uncomplicated appendicitis ranged from $1,529 to a whopping $182,955. To put this in perspective, the price of a new Maserati is $130,000."
Patient Purchasing Assistant believes you would rather own the Maserati and provides solutions to minimize patient financial risk.
Medical Pricepoint Opens in Texas
Medical Pricepoint selected Houston, Texas as the home of our new call center and technology center. Centrally located, this call center will provide services to patients in all time zones in the United States. "We are very impressed by the talented health care and technology skilled workers in the Houston area" said David Gibson, CEO.
Thinking Outside of the Box
The solution to health care cost containment is an involved consumer - the patient. Complexity of procedures, insurance plans and billing practices have left the patient at a disadvantage - until now. Medical Pricepointoffers Patient Financial Advocacy services to ensure the patient is enabled to make informed health care decisions.