Dec 17, 2014 | Coding, Billing, and Collections, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology
Study was published in Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and showed how high-deductible healthcare plans are motivating consumers to use online transparency tools to search for providers that offer greatest value
Do consumers choose less expensive medical laboratories and imaging providers when they can see the prices in advance? The findings of a recently released study suggest that the answer is “yes”—that consumers will shop for the clinical laboratory with the cheapest test prices when they have access to price information!
This is one conclusion from a study of a half million consumers conducted by Castlight, Inc. (NYSE:CSLT), a San Francisco-based company that offers employers an online tool that enables their employees to compare healthcare pricing among their network providers. Researchers at Castlight confirmed that if consumers know the price of laboratory and imaging tests or physician visits in advance, they will choose the less expensive provider. (more…)
Aug 20, 2014 | Coding, Billing, and Collections, Compliance, Legal, and Malpractice, Laboratory Pathology, Managed Care Contracts & Payer Reimbursement
One reason is that the healthcare price websites operated by most states are inadequate, ‘poorly designed or poorly functioning’
Efforts to encourage price transparency at hospitals and other providers are making little progress. That’s one conclusion to be made from the second annual Report Card on State Price Transparency Laws, that gave a failing grade to 45 states.
This information is relevant because more consumers are now enrolled in high-deductible health plans. As a consequence, clinical laboratories and anatomic pathology groups must now handle requests from patients who want to know the cost of their medical laboratory testing in advance of service. As well, many of these consumers want to negotiate prices with their laboratory provider. (more…)
Jun 16, 2014 | Coding, Billing, and Collections, Compliance, Legal, and Malpractice, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Managed Care Contracts & Payer Reimbursement, Management & Operations
Similar to Oscar Healthcare in New York, this California-based enterprise technology company offers services to make it easy for individuals to see providers’ prices, including medical laboratory test prices
Another company has entered the marketplace with their unorthodox business model to support health insurance programs. One cornerstone feature is a tool that enables both employers and beneficiaries to see the prices of different providers.
This young player in the health benefits marketplace is Castlight Health (NYSE: CSLT). Based in San Francisco, it was founded in 2008. One aspect of Castlight that pathologists and clinical laboratory managers may find particularly interesting is its price transparency tool. (more…)
Mar 2, 2011 | Compliance, Legal, and Malpractice, Laboratory Pathology
Although designed for use by consumers, pathologists and clinical laboratory managers can use it too
Tally up the State of Washington as the latest to implement a program to bring greater transparency to patient outcomes produced by different hospitals. In recent months, the rates of healthcare associated infections (HAI) in Washington State hospitals became available on the Internet for public viewing.
Just like patients shopping for a hospital that meets their needs, pathologists and clinical laboratory managers can visit this website and compare the HAI rates for different hospitals in the state. Washington State launched this initiative in conformance with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).
(more…)
Nov 29, 2010 | Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology, Uncategorized
New trend pressures clinical pathology laboratories to shorten turnaround times for key lab tests
Anyone who says there’s not much competition for patients has ignored the marketing battle among hospitals to attract patients to their emergency departments (EDs). In a growing number of cities, major hospitals now aggressively advertise guarantees of ever-shorter wait times in their EDs. This trend has a direct impact on clinical pathology laboratories because they must improve turnaround time (TAT) on lab test results to support faster patient care in EDs.
Using the promise of faster patient access to a doctor in the ED is a fascinating phenomenon. It shows that patients do recognize the difference in service they get from hospitals in their community. (Note to our pathology and laboratory friends in the United Kingdom, where lengthy patient wait times are often an issue: here’s an example of how America’s patients’ desire for better faster access to medical care can provide competitive advantage to the American hospital that provides such access.) (more…)