Junction Medical E-Letter
“Outrageous”!, “You’ve got to be kidding”!, “What a rip off”! – Just some of the printable reactions from patients when they received their lab bills exceeding $1000 for routine tests that can be done for less than $100. Since I ordered the labs, patients asked me “Where else could I have gone? How can I compare charges at different facilities?”
Questions about cost are not limited to just lab tests. As patients experience higher deductibles, Health Savings Accounts (HSA) and greater out of pocket responsibilities, they are taking a more proactive approach to their health care expenses. As part of the “Consumer Driven Health Care” movement, patients need to make “Value Decisions” – Tough to do when there is such a lack of price transparency.
Spurred by patient interest, we requested pricing information from hospitals and free standing testing and imaging facilities. I limited the scope to tests I order for patients. The results are compared on the attached spread sheet (Thanks to D.C. for compiling).
Bottom line – there are significant differences in cost for the same test! It pays to shop around. |
