February 16, 2018
The cost of healthcare is one of the leading causes of stress for patients. Patients often don't know costs in advance of receiving care. As a provider, you may not know the full cost of a procedure either.
Premera is focused on making healthcare work better by sharing cost information with both providers and customers.
Cost information for your patients
As part of a Blue Cross Blue Shield Association initiative, Premera provides our customers with cost information on eight different common procedures, ranging from knee replacement or arthroscopy to a brain MRI with and without contrast.
Our customers can easily look up these costs when they log on as a member. They'll see Estimate Treatment Costs on their homepage. By clicking on the Compare Treatment Costs, they'll find common treatment categories, like physician office visits, physical therapy, and knee replacement. Customers can also search for other procedure costs by using the search box available on the online provider directory.
No matter which way customers access cost information, the tool makes it easy. It defines medical procedures, finds in-network providers, and calculates personalized out-of-pocket cost estimates for customers based on the customer's current health plan use.
When patients are informed about cost, they have more information to help them make a decision on important treatment options, and find care at a fair price.
Cost information for providers
For our provider offices, we'll be sharing cost information periodically so you can find out how your organization's cost of care compares to averages in your region. Look for articles throughout the year comparing costs in our different markets.
This information gives you the opportunity to evaluate your own cost of care and partner with Premera to make healthcare work better.