“Price information in healthcare is theoretically profoundly important. But practically, it’s fraught with massive human behavior changes and closely held cultural and professional practices.”
By Dr. Jay Parkinson, Physician, Founder, and CEO at Sherpaa
FEBRUARY 20. 2018 — There has been a movement toward price transparency and consumerism in healthcare over the last decade or so. If people could just get an accurate cost prior to receiving healthcare, the assumption is they’ll use healthcare more intelligently and cost-effectively. If they only knew that getting their hip replaced at a specialized hip replacement center was $54,000 versus $103,000 at a large academic hospital, they would choose the most bang for their buck.
But let’s analyze the actual process of healthcare delivery and see how the knowledge of cost applies to something as common as headaches from sinus pressure that’s been plaguing you for the last month.
So now it’s Monday. Your head hurts and you’re afraid there’s something really wrong. If you’re not that savvy with how to use the healthcare system, you might just make an appointment with your primary care doctor or go to an urgent care center. But those places don’t really have the deep expertise nor the time to truly evaluate your sinuses, so you’ll be referred to a specialist. If you’re super savvy, you know that you need an Ear/Nose/Throat doctor. Then, you need one close to your home or work who also takes your insurance. So what’s the typical next step?
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Categories: DPC News
