Volume 2, Number 3
Monthly News On Products Promoting Healthcare Cost Transparency And Healthy Living Tips
IN THIS ISSUE...

  • HOW DOES THE PURCHASE OF MEDICAL GOODS AND SERVICES DIFFER FROM ANY OTHER TRANSACTION?
  • WHERE CAN I FIND SELF-PAY SURGICAL CENTERS?
  • MUST HOSPITALS POST THEIR PRICES?
This monthly newsletter contains information about medical cost sharing programs as well as health insurance plans offered through insurance companies that promote healthcare cost transparency. It provides information about tools designed to maintain or regain your health, articles on health and wellness, and information on complementary and integrative health. It also contains information on other cost-transparent products and services you can purchase or utilize to supplement either your medical cost sharing program or your insured health insurance plan.
HOW DOES THE PURCHASE OF MEDICAL GOODS AND SERVICES DIFFER FROM ANY OTHER TRANSACTION?
This article by Carl Schuessler, a benefits consultant from Atlanta, discusses the enormous difference in billing practices from medical providers and also discusses the problems consumers have in obtaining reliable cost data.

Among Carl’s conclusions are the following:

  • It’s extremely difficult to obtain cost and quality information from medical providers
  • Difference in costs at specific hospitals can vary by a factor of 10 to as much as a factor of 20!
  • There’s a terrific disparity in medical costs by state
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o The average cost in CA for a respiratory infection is $101,844; in MD, the average cost is $18,133—82% less
o The average cost of a hospital in NJ for “simple pneumonia” in NJ is $72,084, whereas the average cost in MA is $20,722
Carl makes the point that the problem is that some middleman—e.g. an employer or insurance company-- rather than the patient-- pays the bill.

This is the whole point of the medical cost sharing portion of the Health Excellence Plus program. Under this portion (CONTAIN) of the program Sedera pays the member the shareable expense and the member (the patient) pays the provider. This makes the program a TRUE self-pay patient program.

The program also recognizes the great disparity in cost between different providers and between different states: that’s why the program also recognizes and encourages the use of medical tourism because it lowers the cost of medical care for the entire community.

This also demonstrates why I am a member and endorsed vendor of the Free Market Medical Association. The Association’s main purpose is to introduce transparency and price discovery into the purchase of healthcare services.
WHERE CAN I FIND SELF-PAY SURGICAL CENTERS?
In last month’s newsletter I indicated that I’d publish a list of self-pay surgical centers in this month’s newsletter. Following is a list of 16 surgical centers that I’ve been able to find.

Good Shepard Medical Center  (Longview, TX)
Hoag Orthopedic Institute  (Newport Beach, CA)
Lonestar Surgery Center (Houston, TX)
No Insurance Surgery  (Las Vegas, NV)
Ocean Surgery Center  (Torrance, CA)
Pacific Surgical Center (Longview, WA)
QuikSurg  (Chattanooga, TN)
Regency Healthcare  (New York City)
Stony Point Surgery Center  (Richmond, VA)
Surgery Center Network (Dallas, TX)
Surgery Center of Oklahoma (Oklahoma City, OK)
Tucson Medical Center (Tucson AZ)
MUST HOSPITALS POST THEIR PRICES?
As part of the Trump Administration’s emphasis on “value based care,” whose objective is to reduce costs of healthcare while improving outcomes, hospitals will be required to post their prices effective January 1, 2019. The objective is to increase cost transparency (also called “price discovery”) and to encourage beneficiaries to shop for the lowest cost, high-quality services.

These prices will differ from what hospitals are paid by insurers or other payers because these organizations pay negotiated or discounted rates for such services.

Read the entire article here.
About Paul Cholak
Paul Cholak is the Principal of Control Your Healthcare Costs, LLC (dba Control Your Healthcare Costs) and is an endorsed vendor of the Free Market Medical Association, which promotes transparency in healthcare costs and programs. He's also a Partner/Supporter of the Direct Primary Care Coalition, which promotes the direct primary care provider concept.

He constantly seeks to find new and innovative products that incorporate transparency and focus on reducing costs of the total healthcare bill.

He's an Affiliate Representative for M Powering Benefits , a Certified Affiliate with Sedera Health, and is also appointed by insurance carriers who offer insured products that promote healthcare transparency (for example Health Indemnity insurance).

He offers or refers you to medical cost sharing and insured healthcare products on either an individual, association, or group basis, as applicable, that promote healthcare cost transparency and can result in significant overall healthcare savings to participants. He guides you through the steps of obtaining membership in the applicable program and is always available to help you both BEFORE and AFTER you've enrolled.
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pcholak@controlyourhealthcarecosts.com