Your patients are comparison-shopping
Being charged something without being told the price is like going to
a supermarket and only seeing the prices after they ring through the
fruit. Today's patients, especially younger ones and those with high-
deductible plans, are no longer willing to consume health care in this
manner. The number of people who comparison-shop for health care
has more than doubled in the last 4 years (from 14% in 2012 to 32% in
2016, according to a UnitedHealth survey (osmag.net/TSW5pv). Many
predict pricing transparency in health care will be standard in just a
few years. I only want to see our prices go down over time. What can
we do to get our carpal tunnel from $2,700 to $2,500 while continuing
to produce an ideal outcome? What can we do to present ourselves as
better value to our community? That's our focus: to really hold the
line on healthcare costs.
OSM
Mr. Poole (andy.poole@monticellosurgery.com) is the chief executive offi-
cer of Monticello Community Surgery Center in Charlottesville, Va.
Business Advisor
BA
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