Have you ever wondered how much an MRI, ultrasound or knee surgery would cost at a Baylor Scott & White hospital compared to a Methodist Health System or Texas Health Resources facility? Have you wanted to compare how much different doctors charge for a certain medical procedure?
A new smartphone app from UnitedHealthcare tries to simplify that experience.
The app, called Health4Me, takes into account patients’ deductible, co-insurance and other information to show how much different doctors, hospitals and labs will cost out of pocket. It also factors in the quality of the procedures, Tom Quirk, CEO of UnitedHealthcare commercial operations in Texas and Oklahoma, told me in a recent interview.
“Our goal is to help consumers make informed, personally appropriate health care decisions by providing them as much transparency as possible into their cost for services,” Quirk said.
The app’s cost estimator takes UnitedHealthcare’s contracted rates with the hospitals and doctors and factors in all the different tests and procedures — from anesthesia to aftercare— that typically accompany that type of procedure and compare it to where the patient is in their benefit plan, Quirk said.
One of the most important uses for patients is to find high-quality providers, who often end up being cost-effective even if they charge more because patients don’t return to the hospital or need corrective procedures or extra care after the initial procedure, Quirk said.
In Dallas and nationwide, prices vary widely for the same medical services, and patients who pay more don’t necessarily get better care, Quirk said.
The app is one piece in a health care puzzle that’s becoming increasingly transparent but remains complex, he said.
“With the onslaught of high-deductible plans, there are some consumers who pay the first $2,000,” he said. “The market is going to help consumers more effectively spend their health care dollars.”
I also asked Quirk what he considers the best and worst thing about the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare.
“The best thing is that there is a universal recognition that there is a tremendous amount of monetary waste in the American health care system,” he said. “That’s forcing the whole health care industry to move differently and move quickly to population health. There’s a broader recognition that evidence-based standards have to be followed in patient care. If it’s done properly, patients will be healthier and costs associated with care will be mitigated.”
And the worst thing about the ACA?
“The big negative is the overall confusion,” Quirk said. “Not just for health care providers and the insurance industry, but certainly for consumers. It just generates a tremendous amount of confusion.”
Date: December 23, 2014