In this post I link to and excerpt from the NY Times article of August 22, 2021 by
I strongly recommend that everyone review the entire article him or herself as it is somewhat technical. I’ve included this post just to remind me of the article.
Also please review The NY Times article by Sarah Kliff and Jos h Katz, produced by Rumsey Taylor, Aug. 22, 2021 “Hospitals and Insurers Didn’t Want You to See These Prices. Here’s Why.”
All that follows is from this excellent article.
This year, some Americans can do something that was previously impossible: look up the price of care before going to the hospital.
A new federal rule requires hospitals to post the prices they negotiate with private insurers.
The data is a rich source of new information. We used it to show that some insurers are paying twice or three times as much as their competitors for basic services — and that paying cash rather than using your coverage can often lead to a lower price.
But most hospitals have not yet posted the required data. Even when they have, finding it can take time and legwork. Also, you may need to be a computer programmer to open it.
What you’ll need to know to start*
Before you start looking for prices, you’ll want to know what kind of health insurance you have — both the name of your insurer and also details like whether you picked an H.M.O. plan during open enrollment or went with a P.P.O. option.
Insurers often have a half-dozen rates within the same hospital. Some are specific to which plan you picked and to whether you bought the insurance through the Obamacare marketplace or a specific employer. Others have to do with what network you opted into when you signed up for coverage.
Knowing the type of insurance you have will help you make the most sense of which prices in the data apply to you.
*Emphasis added.
Please review the article in its entirety.
