THE VALUED VOICE

PricePoint: A Valuable Resource for Both Consumers and Health Care Professionals

Wisconsin Hospitals Accountable for Transparency

Since 2005, the WHA Information Center’s (WHAIC) PricePoint website has provided patients and families with important information about health care services and charges in Wisconsin. A national model for transparency, PricePoint embodies the long-standing commitment of Wisconsin hospitals to share information that can help patients and families make informed decisions about their health care.

In 2017, WHAIC expanded the hospital-specific information in PricePoint to include services and charges that may be provided by non-hospital providers across the state. This creates a more complete picture of the charges associated with a particular procedure or treatment.

Powered by data from both WHAIC and the Wisconsin Health Information Organization (WHIO), PricePoint can help patients and families better understand the services that might be part of their care plan and contribute to the charges they may see on their bill or in a report from their insurance company.

PricePoint also includes an insurance checklist which directs patients to contact their health insurer to help determine their out-of-pocket cost. The checklist even includes reminders to ask about particular practitioners that may be involved in their health care, such as radiologists and anesthesiologists, so as to avoid potential surprise billing issues in the event those practitioners are not covered by their insurance plan.

PricePoint caters to health care professionals by providing a portal designed specifically for hospitals and health care providers which allows them to engage in patient conversations related to cost, as well as compare their hospital’s charges to peer prices and services.

Users can:

• Step through a user-friendly, guided process for selecting the services and hospitals specific to their health care needs;
• Compare charges and other key information for hospitals; and,
• Obtain information on the statewide average charges for services that may be provided by non-hospital providers in Wisconsin, such as pharmacy, professional services, labs, rehabilitation, skilled nursing and others.

For more information about PricePoint and how it can help your facility with price transparency, contact WHAIC Vice President and Privacy Officer Jennifer Mueller.