Remind employers and employees how to best use their benefits all year long
BY SHAWN WAGONER
While technology has changed how we all shop for everything from car rides to vacation rentals, health care quality and cost information has often remained elusive for many Americans. In fact, research from McKinsey shows that access to health care quality and price transparency information may help reduce out-of-pocket costs for consumers and lower the total cost of care for employers. That’s because the cost for health care services at hospitals and doctors’ offices can vary nationwide and within the same city, despite research showing higher-priced care does not necessarily deliver higher quality care. In Los Angeles, for instance, UnitedHealthcare shows a knee MRI can cost from $210 to $5,950, and childbirth can range from $3,820 to $22,150.