Americans can comparison shop online for almost anything today.
This ought to apply to the healthcare industry as well. How much are hospitals
or clinics charging for medical procedures and other healthcare services? Where
is the online Amazon, Best Buy, or Wal-Mart site that you can go to and check
the prices before heading off to see your doctor.
To date, many people have not chosen to comparison shop for
medical care. For example, I have
insurance that pays most of the bills and I leave it up to the insurance
company to haggle with healthcare providers over cost. Many other Americans are covered by Medicare,
Medicaid, the Military Health System, State Hospitals, Veterans Health
Administration, Indian Health, or other government run programs. There too they
leave the shopping for cost effective services in the hands of others.
Who really knows what a hospital visit or medical procedures ought
to really cost? Who cares if you are leaving that in the hands of insurance
companies, your employer, or the government? Why should the American
people start comparison shopping for
quality healthcare products or service at lower costs? The information has not
been readily available and there has been little incentive to do so – until now.
With the huge bill Americans are paying now for their healthcare,
coupled with the public brouhaha raised by opponents to the Health Care Reform
Act ('Obamacare'), both citizens and politicians are finally tackling this
problem with some very practical solutions. They are collecting hard data on
costs and making the data available to the public.
A perfect storm involving the 'Open Access', 'Open Data', and 'Open
Source' movements are coming together to help address the situation – out of
control healthcare costs. A growing number of 'open' technology and solutions
are being brought to bear by both the public and private sector.
To get a feel for what I'm talking about, check out some of the
growing number of health information portals that are going into place on the World
Wide Web to help individuals and
organizations shop for cost effective healthcare products and services:
State Cost Comparison Systems
* Many other states like Maine, North
Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, and Vermont are in the process of putting up
similar healthcare cost comparison systems.
National Public & Private Sector Quality & Cost Comparison
Sites
Over the next few years, more 'open data' healthcare quality &
cost comparison sites will emerge covering every state. 'Open access' to the
data will be provided to everyone as citizens begin to become more involved in healthcare
purchasing decisions as a result of healthcare reform. 'Open source' software
will also have an effect, especially efforts to develop 'Open'
Chargemaster Systems. The 'Open Health' Movement is taking hold and having
a positive effect on all.
Let us know about any other Healthcare Cost Comparison web sites you would recommend to others.
