
The Price Is Right? Not for Mammograms
Price transparency continues to plague healthcare, as this new report from Castlight Health suggests.
Healthcare price transparency continues to be an ongoing struggle for payers and patients. While grocery stores service competitive prices for a box of cereal, the variability in prices for the same healthcare service sees a huge differential. A new
For the study, Castlight Health examined the pricing of OB/GYN follow-up visits, preventative gynecological exams, mammograms, and HPV tests across states, using medical claims data. Additionally, provider information, provider rate sheets (payer-provider negotiated rates), and some publicly available information was included in the data set. Employee out-of-pocket cost added to the amount paid by the employer was defined as the price of a service.
The results were astounding—a
Newsletter
Stay ahead of policy, cost, and value—subscribe to AJMC for expert insights at the intersection of clinical care and health economics.