ABSTRACT
Experts have long recommended “shopping” for healthcare as a way to lower prices and costs. But that has been virtually impossible, since most hospitals and insurance companies have refused to publish the prices of services and defining “quality” healthcare services is difficult. That is changing now, though slowly, and the launch of a slew of new companies and government websites could finally make medical shopping possible. There is still a long way to go—it remains almost impossible to find the price of a medical visit in advance. But companies and non-profits that help consumers find lower-cost doctors, hospitals, and other services are springing up. In this chapter, we present examples of companies and organizations that are breaking down barriers to price and quality transparency and helping patients become better consumers of healthcare.
