Consumer engagement in healthcare is harder than it seems
Every time I hear a story about consumer empowerment in healthcare, I get optimistic that consumers really can make a difference in containing runaway healthcare costs. Then something comes along to make me think that it’s a pipe dream. I just had one such occurrence.
Trending on Twitter right now is the meme “#pricesthatshockyou.” Just for fun, I clicked. Right near the top I saw this:
[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/#!/jadedheartsxo/status/86598503140294656″]
Uh, the American government doesn’t set the prices. Sure, CMS sets Medicare reimbursement rates that often serve as a model for other payers, but providers set the rates they charge. Whether you have insurance or not, the government doesn’t have much say at all on the list price for medical services. (Yes, regulation adds to costs, and Medicare sets the tone for the fee-for-service model that has resulted in ridiculous utilization patterns, duplication and the like, but I really don’t think we’re dealing with an actuary or healthcare finance professional in this particular tweet. This is an average citizen with no concept of how the system really works.)
The sad thing is, it’s been retweeted at least 10 times.
Inside of 10 yrs of research including pediatric type 1 diabetes (the scary kind) time and again parents told us they really wanted the ability to monitor their child’s blood sugars in real time so they could possibly prevent complications that could include seizures, coma and death not to mention the stigma that goes with acting abnormal due to low or high blood sugar. And when asked how much they would pay the most common answer was nothing – that this should be provided to them at no cost. To go even further, then when asked if they would pay even $20/mo for an embedded cellular monitoring device + service they still said that was too much and complained that it was covered. Lesson learned is that you cannot always take what consumers tell you at face value.
With health care in the US, there is clearly an attitude of entitlement which defies logic and prevents people from getting what they need based on the principle that they shouldn’t have to pay.