St. Luke's University Health Network recently launched a price transparency tool that, unlike other price portals that post per-service estimates, bundles prices for many medical procedures so patients have a more accurate sense of what their care will cost.
The Bethlehem, Pennsylvania-based health system said its PriceChecker site not only gives price transparency, but also gives patients the ability pre-pay the bundled price before the procedure is scheduled.
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The launch of the tool comes as more Americans carry high-deductible health plans with high out-of-pocket limits. Officials said PriceChecker targets those patients, and excludes those with government plans through Medicare and Medicaid.
St. Luke's said all of its facilities except ones located in New Jersey will participate in the bundled payment option.
For surgical procedures the bundled price includes costs associated with the operating room or procedure room, physician cost, imaging costs, anesthesia and post-op treatment.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has launched several pilot programs to test bundled payments for healthcare. Under those programs, healthcare providers would receive a lump sum to cover all the care associated with a certain procedure, like knee and hip replacements, for example.
St. Luke's runs six hospitals and more than 200 medical centers.
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