Virginia Health Information publishes 2013 Health Care Pricing Report

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Virginia Health Information Issues Reports on Consumer Costs for Health Care Services

As the price of health care increases, employers struggle to control costs and maintain employee health care benefits. One strategy increases the amount employees pay in deductibles or co-pays. With more money coming out of their pockets, information on the costs of care can help consumers make more informed health care purchasing decisions. 

Virginia Health Information (VHI) today released the 2013 Health Care Pricing Report, available free to the public at http://www.vhi.org/health_care_prices.asp. As one of VHI's health care transparency reports, the pricing reports go well beyond just prices. Consumers can choose from over 30 services including tests, surgeries, doctor visits and emergency room care. For each service, VHI provides:

  • A clear description of the service
  • Why you may need the service
  • Links to videos on the service and more details from experts
  • The average amount health insurance companies pay providers.

"What is unique about our report is not only providing the what and why for the service, but comparisons of costs between similar services provided in a doctor's office, ambulatory surgical center, or hospital," says Michael T. Lundberg, VHI's Executive Director. Visitors can learn more about knee and shoulder surgery, CT scans, MRIs and over two dozen other commonly performed services. 

Transparency in health care prices is a national issue with states taking on the challenges to collect and share this information with the public. Virginia's efforts have not gone unnoticed. Earlier this year, Virginia was recognized as one of the top states for information on health care prices.  

Comments

  1. jalbertt bowden jalbertt bowden United States says:

    "Transparency in health care prices is a national issue with states taking on the challenges to collect and share this information with the public."

    taking on the challenges? that is why vhi.org exists in the first place.

    Share? Share what? That they have the information? They certainly aren't sharing any of it, they are charging tax-paying citizens...and arm and a leg on top of that.

    plus they're selling .xsl files loaded on a cd....1999 called, it wants its data format back.

    "Virginia's efforts have not gone unnoticed. Earlier this year, Virginia was recognized as one of the top states for information on health care prices."

    what does that even mean? top states because they have the information? they certainly aren't doing anything about it, besides ripping off its base.

    vhi.org exists because of taxpayers;
    vhi.org collects taxpayers data;
    vhi.org sells taxpayers data back to taxpayers.

    there is nothing transparent about that at all...actually, users should have control of their data, and vhi.org should have to request access to it.

    and to sell it back to us? what a slap in the face. outdated formats and technology to top it off.

    lastly, the feds kicked off their open data initiative this year, and while i do not trust them to see it through, it is clear that open data is going to be the standard, which only furthers my points about government agencies, dependent on our taxes, collecting our data (aka, doing their job we provide for them), and then selling it back to us.

    the mitigation between channels leaves room for the man to manipulate the datasets.

    your days are numbered.

The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of News Medical.
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