People are searching for health care – and it's not always pretty. It's time to tone down the noise and get the answers you need!
It’s well known to health policy types, but less so to consumers, that health care prices are utterly lacking in transparency and wildly variable. People are putting away their insurance cards and paying cash to get a lower price. They have bills to share and stories to tell, and they want to help others who face the same challenges.
Start by asking
People should always ask about prices, and providers and payers should always reveal them. All of them. Charged prices, paid prices, coinsurance. Up front, before the point of service, for anything shoppable. Yes, it’s hard, but do it anyway.
Once cost transparency is a matter of course, quality metrics that are clear and useful will come to the fore. And as the non-emergency, modest-ticket marketplace is transformed, people will also start to approach the emergency, big-ticket items as cost-conscious consumers.
Those at the forefront will be rewarded: Transparency shines a radiant light on good services at reasonable prices. Those who offer only partial transparency will do so at their peril. The internet hates when people lie and keep secrets. People are shopping for health care. It’s time to acknowledge that — and celebrate it.
The ACA in full effect
Over the past year, The White House has seen 10 million additional Americans gain health insurance, leading to a 26 percent drop in adults living without health coverage. This is progress which can’t be adequately quantified by the numbers, especially since we fully expected hundreds of thousands of families to use part of their time together during Thanksgiving weekend to gather around their laptops, tablets and computers to make sure everyone has the health coverage they need to stay healthy in the new year.
Of the millions of Americans who are newly covered thanks to the ACA, many saw doctors for the first time in years, many caught or prevented conditions before they became life threatening, and millions more slept soundly with the peace of mind that they weren’t living just one accident or unexpected illness away from losing everything.
Every day, the President hears from hundreds or thousands of these folks who write to him and share their story. The White House has reached out to handful of these folks to let them know the President appreciated reading their letters, and to hear a little more about their stories in hopes that their experiences may compel others to also visit HealthCare.gov this holiday season.
For the millions who bought last year, we encourage you to come to us for assistance and we'll guide you in the right direction when you're ready to return to HealthCare.gov to update your information. You may be able to find an even better deal for you and your family! The average person selecting a plan with tax credits paid $82 per month for coverage in the Health Insurance Marketplaces in 2014, and there are even more affordable plans available this year.
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