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Pricing for Procedures Offered Online
Faith Regional now offers a published list of average charges for common procedures to assist consumers in making informed choices when selecting a hospital or physician for medical care. Faith Regional is the first hospital in Nebraska to implement the concept of “pricing transparency” in healthcare by posting prices on its hospital Web site, www.frhs.org.
With the recent advent of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and the continuation of Section 125 Plans, the push to make healthcare costs public information is a step toward consumers understanding costs and lowering skyrocketing health costs. Federal lawmakers, policy shapers and physicians discussed this issue earlier this year in hearings before Congress. During these meetings Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt announced that for the first time, Medicare, Medicaid and other federal agencies would be required to post the prices they pay for some very routine clinical procedures on a Web site, according to an article in the March 2006 issue of Modern Healthcare.
“Patients should know what some common procedures they may need will cost so that they can compare charges among healthcare providers,” said Robert Driewer, CEO of Faith Regional Health Services. “As a healthcare provider, Faith Regional has taken the lead in making this information available to our patients.”
Among the information made available by visiting www.frhs.org are common emergency department charges, laboratory and diagnostic tests, and surgeries. In the case of an emergency visit, it is classified as Level 1 through 5, depending on the treatment provided to the patient. The Web site defines each level and calculates the estimated charge for that care, including the physician’s fee. Estimated charges for a coronary artery bypass surgery, a MRI, a C-section delivery and many other services can be found on the site.
Located on Faith Regional’s Home page is a link titled “Pricing Information." From there you can find information about billing, frequently asked question, a glossary of terminology, making a payment and, if needed, financial assistance.
“By placing this information on our Web site, patients have access to it 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” added Driewer. “In addition, Faith Regional has its quality initiatives and scores listed on the site for review.” For additional pricing information not found on the Web site, consumers should contact the Business Office at Faith Regional Health Services, (402) 644-7115.
Last Updated: 1/31/2007
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