HealthSmart Launches Partnership with Healthcare Bluebook
Dallas, Texas (PRWEB) February 23, 2015 -- HealthSmart Holdings, Inc. announced today that it has entered into a strategic partnership with Healthcare Bluebook, the industry leader in healthcare price transparency solutions. The Healthcare Bluebook tool will allow all HealthSmart’s clients and their nearly 900,000 health plan members to make informed decisions based on price, quality and other critical factors when shopping for care. Using benchmarks within Healthcare Bluebook, members can quickly locate health providers that offer the right care at a Fair Price―resulting in real savings for self-funded Plan Sponsors and their employees.
For example, a HealthSmart client plan member who needs an MRI can use HealthSmart’s provider locator tool along with Healthcare Bluebook to find conveniently located imaging centers. In a typical market, the contracted price among imaging centers varies significantly―a range of $600 to $2,400 is common. Assuming a 20% member copayment, the cost to the employee would range from $120 to $480, and the cost to the employer would be $480 to $1,960. A significant savings for both the plan member and insurer can result from choosing the lower priced center. To further encourage member shopping, the employer could also choose to waive the copay or pay the member a cash bonus.
“Price transparency is a critical missing link in the healthcare delivery system,” said Mark Stadler, HealthSmart’s Chief Marketing Officer. “Our partnership with Healthcare Bluebook will help our clients and their employees achieve price transparency and identify and connect with high-value providers.”
“Focusing on the true total cost of quality healthcare, rather than just the percent discount off standard prices, furthers our ability to improve member health and reduce healthcare costs,” he stated. “Our unique integration of Healthcare Bluebook with HealthSmart systems even enables our customers to offer their members incentives for using high quality, cost-effective healthcare solutions.”
Mike O’Neil, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Development at Healthcare Bluebook said, “The idea of shopping for care based on ‘average prices’ or network discount percentages is a thing of the past. In order to control the rising costs of healthcare, the focus needs to be on making it simple for employees and employers to identify the highest value providers, based on the true total cost and quality of care.”
About HealthSmart
For more than 40 years, HealthSmart has offered a wide array of customizable and scalable health plan solutions for self-funded employers. HealthSmart’s comprehensive service suite addresses individual health from all angles. This includes claims and benefits administration, provider networks, pharmacy benefit management services, business intelligence, onsite employer clinics, care management, a variety of health and wellness initiatives and web-based reporting. The Company's headquarters is in Irving, Texas, with regional hubs throughout the country. HealthSmart’s mission is to improve member health and reduce healthcare costs.
Jaki Abbruzzese, HealthSmart, http://www.healthsmart.com, +1 (214) 574-2362, [email protected]
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