{"id":1462,"date":"2019-01-30T11:00:39","date_gmt":"2019-01-30T19:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ascentblog.org\/?p=1462"},"modified":"2019-01-30T11:01:13","modified_gmt":"2019-01-30T19:01:13","slug":"online-pricing-the-impact-of-new-laws-in-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ascentblog.org\/online-pricing-the-impact-of-new-laws-in-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"Online Pricing: The Impact of New Laws in 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>A\nnew law went into effect on January 1 requiring hospitals to post prices\nonline. Originally a component of the Affordable Care Act, this cost disclosure\nlegislation was signed into law by the Trump administration and provides\nconsumers with the ability to view pricing information, giving them more choice\nand greater control in deciding which hospitals, providers and services to\nutilize. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some\nin the health care industry wonder just how helpful this information is,\nthough.&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Pros and Cons of Greater Transparency<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ascentblog.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/buying-things-online.jpeg\" alt=\"Man opening his wallet while looking at a checkout screen online \" class=\"wp-image-1463\" width=\"325\" height=\"216\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ascentblog.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/buying-things-online.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/ascentblog.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/buying-things-online-300x200.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 325px) 100vw, 325px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>As\nbeneficial as cost transparency appears on the surface, health insurance plans\nand specialty services both play a role in limiting a patient\u2019s options. Reimbursement\nlimitations for out-of-network coverage and hospital discounts can both counteract\nany out-of-pocket cost savings a patient is able to take advantage of by\nshopping around. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In\norder to ensure no unpleasant surprises when bills show up in the mail,\nconsumers are urged to consult with their health plan\u2019s benefit administrators or\nclaims processing specialists prior to committing to receiving care or services\nfrom any particular provider. Doing so will give them a better upfront\nunderstanding of what their financial responsibilities will be \u2013 information\nthat might not be readily available or easily understood when it comes to\nonline pricing tables. Some plans, such as SelectHealth in Utah \u2013 the insurance\ndivision of Intermountain Healthcare \u2013 provide \u201cMedical Cost Estimator\u201d links\non their website to help members figure out health care costs and plan\naccordingly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other\nimpediments exist to declaring price transparency a \u201cwin\u201d in the ongoing battle\nover rising health care costs. Online pricing disclosures are a start, but more\nwill have to change in order to truly make this beneficial to the consumer,\nincluding changes in payment and reimbursement models, improved patient\nengagement, and an overall shift toward making health care more\nconsumer-driven. There is another important factor to consider: many hospital\nvisits are unplanned, the result of medical emergencies or unexpected health\ncrises. Few people in these scenarios are going to take the time to log onto a\ncomputer to determine where to go for treatment \u2013 not when their long-term\nhealth is at stake.&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pharmaceutical\npricing is another area begging for cost transparency, according to experts. Until\nthat happens, drug prices will continue to skyrocket as patients are unable to\ncomparison shop \u2013 at least not very easily or effectively. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Regardless\nof the negatives, consumer and patient advocacy groups hail this as an\nimportant step in providing consumers with a modicum of control over their\nhealth. Hopefully, the future will bring about more positive change. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A new law went into effect on January 1 requiring hospitals to post prices online. Originally a component of the Affordable Care Act, this cost disclosure legislation was signed into law by the Trump administration and provides consumers with the ability to view pricing information, giving them more choice and greater control in deciding which&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1463,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"schema":"","placeID":"","no_match":false,"name":"","company":"","review":"","address":"","city":"","state":"","zip":"","lat":"","lng":"","phone1":"","phone2":"","fax":"","mon1":"","mon2":"","tue1":"","tue2":"","wed1":"","wed2":"","thu1":"","thu2":"","fri1":"","fri2":"","sat1":"","sat2":"","sun1":"","sun2":"","hours-note":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1462","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-practice-advice"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Online Pricing: The Impact of New Laws in 2019 | ASCENT: Administrator Support Community for ENT<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"ASCENT: Administrator Support Community for ENT | A new law went into effect on January 1 requiring hospitals to post prices online. 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