Transparency in healthcare may not seem like a big deal. However, when the process is actually analyzed, there are many extraordinary benefits that patients get when healthcare price transparency tools are used. Here are some of the most important ones.
Ensuring Proper Care
If you are only told of the price of care on a procedure by procedure basis, instead of the cost of the entire treatment plan, you may face an unpleasant surprise regarding the entire price of the care you are receiving. In many cases, patients may have to stop treatment after having only received a small portion of it. They will be unable to continue with the rest of the care plan because they were not aware of the cost ahead of time. This can sometimes be more dangerous than having never received any of the treatment to begin with.
No Surprise Medications
Many times patients go to the pharmacy to pick up their medication that the doctor has prescribed and receive a healthy dose of sticker shock. By offering transparency with the price of all medicines, patients can know in advance if the price of their normal medication has suddenly gone up for some reason or if there are lower-priced generic versions are available.
Planning Ahead
When doctors use healthcare price transparency tools to show patients the true cost of their care, the patients can actually save up for the procedure or find other sources of funding to pay for the procedure. They do not have to suffer the stress of finding out the cost of everything at the last minute.
