I knew there would be some scary questions I’d ask myself as a physician. I thought I was as prepared as I could be for the worries that come with being in a field that carries a lot of uncertainty.
Am I thinking about this diagnosis correctly? Did I counsel the patient correctly on all of their options? Are my sick patients going to recover?
What I wasn’t prepared for and what’s certainly not taught in training was the question, “Is my patient going to go into medical debt?”
We never learn about insurance plans, negotiation contracts, or billing in medical education. And we certainly don\\\'t have any idea how much a visit costs or anything we order/prescribe for our patients.
The unfortunate reality is the costs of healthcare are falling more and more onto the patient. I fear that every lab test, imaging, or necessary referral are going to end up in a surprise bill for my patients. How can we practice shared decision-making and informed care when we don’t know this important information?
Healthcare cost transparency is necessary to provide adequate care to patients. People should know upfront how much a test will cost and compare it to other nearby places to make a decision that is best for them.
Healthy Price was developed for the patient who has to pay $7,000 out of pocket for an MRI not knowing that a facility close by would have been several thousand dollars cheaper.
Healthy Price was developed for the patients who are avoiding necessary doctor’s visits because they don’t know the costs.
Healthy Price was developed for the physicians who believe in healthcare cost transparency and want to work with their patients to find them affordable and high-quality care.
Warm Regards,
Courtney Scanlon
Co-Founder, Chief Medical Officer
