By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Highmark’s Care Cost Estimator Looks Promising
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Business > Highmark’s Care Cost Estimator Looks Promising
Business

Highmark’s Care Cost Estimator Looks Promising

DavidEWilliams
DavidEWilliams
Share
2 Min Read
SHARE

Highmark Health Services, a big Blue Cross Blue Shield plan is rolling out its Care Cost Estimator, a transparency tool designed to get members to make cost-saving choices. The video embedded below does a good job of explaining the tool. In watching it, I’m impressed at just how far these tools have come over the past couple of years.

Highmark Health Services, a big Blue Cross Blue Shield plan is rolling out its Care Cost Estimator, a transparency tool designed to get members to make cost-saving choices. The video embedded below does a good job of explaining the tool. In watching it, I’m impressed at just how far these tools have come over the past couple of years.

The site is similar in concept to a travel website like Orbitz. It allows users to select the type of care they need, and then see an array of provider choices and associated costs. The costs include total costs and out-of-pocket costs that are specific to the member. It claims to incorporate all aspects of the benefit design and benefit use to calculate the actual out-of-pocket costs. The site also displays patient reviews of the providers.

The real potential of the site is described at around the 2:20 mark, where the video refers to “reference based benefits,” which set an allowable price for a specific procedure and then make the patient pay anything above that amount. Reference pricing has the potential to produce major cost savings at least for certain procedures. I wasn’t aware that Highmark was utilizing this approach. In any case, in order to make reference-based pricing effective, transparency tools like this are an absolute must.

More Read

4 Questions To Ask Before Choosing A Healthcare Uniform Services Rental
Amgen Lays Off 300 Employees–Company Profits Average over $5 Billion a Year
Readmissions and Consumer Engagement
Personalized Prevention, Part II – The Psychology of Engagement
Fusion Still Holds Strong in Spine Surgery

I don’t know whether the site is as easy to use and as useful as the video makes it seem. But if so, this is a big step forward for Highmark, its customers and members.


By David E. Williams of the Health Business Group.

TAGGED:healthcare costs
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

a woman walking on the hallway
6 Easy Healthcare Ways to Sit Less and Move More Every Day
Health
September 9, 2025
Clinical Expertise
Healthcare at a Crossroads: Why Leadership Matters More Than Ever
Global Healthcare
September 9, 2025
travel nurse in north carolina
Balancing Speed and Scope: Choosing the Nursing Degree That Fits Your Goals
Nursing
September 1, 2025
intimacy
How to Keep Intimacy Comfortable as You Age
Relationship and Lifestyle Senior Care
September 1, 2025

You Might also Like

DTC Marketing, Medical Device Marketing, Medical Technology Marketing
BusinessFinance

Medical Device DTC Marketing: Digital Co-Marketing and the Power of the Referral (Part 2 of 4)

July 21, 2014

June 1- Meeting for NYC Health Business Leaders

May 9, 2011

Global Trend in Bariatric Surgery

December 16, 2011
BI analytics HIS
BusinessFinanceHospital AdministrationRadiologySpecialties

Using Business Intelligence and Analytics for Radiology Billing

May 11, 2013
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?