A Journal of the American Medical Association study found healthcare pricing tools may not be cutting costs.
Researchers analyzed two large employers who offered an online healthcare price transparency tool to their employees.
Here are six takeaways:
1. In the year before the tool was introduced, mean outpatient spending among employees was $2,021.
2. One year after introducing the tool, mean outpatient spending among employees was $2,233.
3. After researchers adjusted for demographic and health characteristics, there was a total mean spending increase of $59 in the outpatient setting.
4. Mean outpatient out-of-pocket spending among employees offering the tool was $507 in the year before introducing the tool.
5. In the year after the tool was introduced, mean outpatient out-of-pocket spending was $555.
6. In the first 12 months of introducing the tool, only 10 percent of employees used it at least once.
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