December 7, 2017
For many employer groups, the rising cost of healthcare directly impacts their bottom line. It crowds out the funds available for other employee benefits, including pay raises. While struggling to control costs and remain competitive, many employers have shifted to benefit plans with higher deductibles or higher cost shares.
Employers are asking health plans for more choices and to show the variation in cost of care, so their employees can make informed choices. Premera has been partnering with our employer groups to help both reduce their costs and find ways to give their employees more information.
While many people rely on their doctor’s advice on where to seek care, most providers aren’t aware of the cost of their recommendation, or consider the cost to the patient when ordering services. There is a large variation in cost across services and providers. Sometimes this variation can result in a patient choosing not to get the care they need because of the cost or pay more than they should for a particular service.
By using our own claims data, Premera can look at the cost across services and then compare these costs between several hospitals and providers. We are refining our tools, and partnering with others, to allow our customers to more easily find a provider and compare costs.
A program we have launched with our partner, AIM Specialty Health, is an example of one way to share cost variation information with patients. AIM will reach out when a CT or MRI is ordered to provide the patient with information on high value, lower-cost imaging facilities. Using these tools, our customers can now see that cost variation.
Working closely with and through our providers, we can find ways to reduce costs for customers. And when customers can save money on healthcare, they’re more likely to get the care they need and have a better experience.
If you’re interested in learning more about our initiative on value and cost, contact your Provider Network Executive.