RALEIGH, NC (AP) — North Carolina’s largest health insurer is opening its databanks to let consumers compare the costs of elective procedures and drive down rising medical prices.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina on Wednesday unveiled its online tool intended to make it easy to compare costs that can differ by thousands of dollars. The database allowing questions for knee, neck or other procedures includes prices for more than 1,200 non-emergency treatments and providers statewide.
The bottom-line prices for treating an ailment do not include the discounts insurers negotiate with doctors and hospitals. Blue Cross customers have more detailed information about what their specific policy covers.
Insurers and governments started making medical costs public about a decade ago and the trend has increased in recent years.
Date: January 7, 2015