Online tool helps you price healthcare

Healthcare options can be very confusing and it’s difficult to know whether or not you are getting the best care for the lowest cost.

Stephen Farrell, the CEO from UnitedHealthcare , joined The Rhode Show to talk about a groundbreaking service available called MyHealthcare Cost Estimator.

“In general, people are searching for healthcare pricing information on the Internet. We’ve taken a need and turned it into a solution. MyHealthcare Cost Estimator is a really exciting free online tool for all UnitedHealthcare members. It takes the guesswork out of figuring out what you owe for certain services. Think of the Cost Estimator as an Orbitz or Expedia for healthcare. It is an integrated health cost tool that provides precise comparisons based on actual physicians and hospital rates for more than 100 treatments. We at UnitedHealthcare are excited to give our members the tools they need to make educated choices about the healthcare. They have options available to lowering their healthcare costs,” said Farrell.

The Cost Estimator allows you to compare quality care and cost information for 240,000 different physicians and hospitals – all in one place. It will provide you with resources and education to let you to explore and research a healthcare provider – so you can feel fully confident about your choices. It will give you options and allow you to choose the most appropriate location for your procedure – even giving you maps and directions.

These are little things... but knowing this information in advance can greatly reduce stress levels the day of a medical procedure.

Mary Larsen asked if the tool customizable? “Say, for instance, I want to know specific information about a series of procedures I want to have done.”

Farrell said yes, “It is another great benefit of the tool is that it provides custom “care paths.” The care path is an individually customized plan for each person and offers a comprehensive view of what one should expect throughout the entire course of treatment. This even includes post-treatment information such as possible physical therapy options and any necessary follow-up care.”

The Cost Estimator will allow you to easily estimate out-of-pocket costs for your procedure based on your specific health plan. There will be no surprises before or after the procedure.

Later this year the Cost Estimator will be available through the Health4Me Mobile Application. It will be a fast, easy, personalized application that can be accessed through your smartphone. It will be free, and will be able to download it from the Apple iTunes App Store and the Android marketplace.

Any Unitedhealthcare members can visit http://myuhc.com to set up an e-mail, username, and password. Members will have immediate access to the online tool and all of its fantastic features and benefits. It is pretty user-friendly.