The lack of transparency around medical pricing puts self-insured employers and their employees at a disadvantage. Without the bargaining power that major insurers have, self-insured employers can’t be certain that they’re getting the best possible prices for the services that their plan members need. Enter reference based pricing. It’s a pricing strategy that more and more self-funded employers are using to control costs. Traditionally, hospitals and health care providers set inflated prices for services and insurers negotiate lower rates for their members. A procedure that a hospital charges $10,000 for may only be billed at $5,000, depending on the patient’s insurance plan. Continue Reading >
