DirectPath Launches Health Care Cost Estimator

Company enhances its transparency and advocacy services with tool that empowers employees to take control of their health care spending

DirectPath Health Care Cost Estimator (Photo: Business Wire)

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.--()--DirectPath, the industry leader in employee engagement, health care transparency and compliance, today announced that it has launched the DirectPath Health Care Cost Estimator, designed to empower employees at client organizations to estimate costs of medical procedures and treatments. The tool allows employees to estimate in-network and out-of-network costs for procedures based on a geographic area. As a result, employees can take control of their health care spending – ensuring they receive the right care while containing costs for themselves and for their employers.

DirectPath’s latest offering is driven by its commitment to reduce health care costs for employers and their employees through transparency and advocacy. Facing an extremely complex health care landscape, employees all too often fail to research their options when choosing medical procedures and treatment. Many don’t realize that prices can vary significantly among providers for the same service, while others passively take their doctors’ recommendations without considering other alternatives. Among those rare employees who are aware of health care price discrepancies and alternative solutions, most lack the know-how to secure, and use, the information needed to effectively comparison shop. For these reasons, employees frequently select procedural and treatment options that drive up health care expenses for themselves and for their employers.

To enable employees to take control of their health care spending and limit health care expenses for their employers, DirectPath helps steer employees toward procedures and treatments that ensure quality care at predictable and agreeable costs. Backed by an analysis of health care claims data from health plans and plan administrators from FAIR Health, the tool:

  • Generates cost estimates for health care procedures and treatments based on procedure code, keyword or common bundles (episodes of care), ranging from chemotherapy to colonoscopies and acupuncture.
  • Presents the information in an easy-to-understand summary that compares in-network versus out-of-network charge estimates, as well as estimated costs for related procedures.
  • Offers details for contacting a DirectPath advocate, who can elaborate on employees’ options and educate them on the differences between each service. Once employees select their procedure or treatment, the advocates can also schedule the procedure and transfer medical records.

“Health care is extremely complex,” said Bridget Lipezker, senior vice president and general manager, Advocacy and Transparency, DirectPath. “Employers are trying to figure out how to maximize their health care investments and deliver quality options to employees. At the same time, employees want to control out-of-pocket spending while ensuring they receive the best care. To contain costs without sacrificing quality, it’s imperative that both employers and employees have a thorough understanding of their options. Our cost estimator tool, complemented by our robust and highly personal transparency and advocacy solutions, gives employees what they need to make informed decisions and limit spending for themselves and their employers.”

DirectPath Health Care Cost Estimator is available to all employees at client organizations and can be accessed through each client’s landing page. For more information about DirectPath’s advocacy and transparency services, visit its website.

About DirectPath:
DirectPath is an industry leader in strategic employee engagement, health care compliance and transparency for Fortune 1000 employers. Its customers experience significant ROI on their benefits investments through increased employee participation, management of the evolving regulatory environment and reduced cost through efficient benefits plan management technology. DirectPath is a Century Equity Partner portfolio company and is headquartered in Birmingham with offices throughout the country. For more information, visit the DirectPath website and follow the company on Twitter.

Contacts

Version 2.0 Communications
Kristen Leathers, 617-426-2222
kleathers@v2comms.com

Contacts

Version 2.0 Communications
Kristen Leathers, 617-426-2222
kleathers@v2comms.com