Tag:

cost transparency

Latest Headlines

Latest Headlines

3 tips to tighten your patient collection process

Practices that want to increase their revenue efficiency might want to look into patient collection trends that offer opportunities above and beyond the usual belt-tightening expense controls, according to an article in  Medical Economics.

Insurers jump into battle over drug prices at state level

Health insurers in Virginia want to require more pricing transparency from the pharmaceutical industry, but drug companies are pushing back by saying this could be the first step toward government-related price controls that would stifle future innovations, according to an Associated Press article.  

Study casts doubt on conventional wisdom about healthcare spending

A new study reveals that the conventional wisdom about healthcare spending may be wrong, as areas of the country that spend less on Medicare do not necessarily have lower overall healthcare costs.  

High deductibles scaring patients away from care

For several years now, rising out-of-pocket health costs have caused some p atients  to forego needed care. A recent  stu dy  from the Commonwealth Fund confirms that not only are patients cutting back on care due to cost, but also their  misunders tanding of insurance coverage leads many to forego preventive care unnecessarily.

3 ways to boost health insurance literacy

If the average patient's ability to understand medical information is poor, the U.S. public's comprehension of the current healthcare/insurance system is in dire need of improvement. 

Empowering patients against unnecessary care, medical errors proves difficult

Patients have a difficult time overruling their doctors when they believe a procedure is unnecessary or potentially harmful, according to Politico.

Med societies release cost-conscious treatment recommendations

The outsized cost of healthcare delivery in the U.S. may finally affect individual providers' treatment decisions, according to the New York Times. 

Price transparency becomes law in Massachusetts

As of Jan. 1, providing patients who ask with cost estimates is no longer a recommendation but a requirement for health providers in Massachusetts. As part of Chapter 224, a major cost-containment law passed in August 2012, physician practices and hospitals have just two working days to respond to patient requests for cost information.

New Massachusetts law requires insurers to provide prices to members

Under a first-of-its-kind law implemented in Massachusetts in October, insurers must give consumers prices for certain services within two working days so consumers can comparison shop for medical procedures

Get consumers to treat medical care like a car purchase

Imagine this scenario: Your car died and isn't worth repairing, so you go to a car dealership to buy a new one. The salesman offers you a shiny red car that fits your needs, so you agree to buy...