Private Companies Providing Health Care Price Data: Who Are They and What Information do They Provide?

Abstract

There is interest in making health care price information more transparent given the increase in enrollment in high-deductible and consumer-directed health plans, and as policy efforts intensify to engage consumers to obtain high value care. We examine the role of private companies that market price transparency tools, primarily to self-insured employers - an important yet understudied topic. What companies exist? How did they emerge? What information do they provide? Where do they get that information? How does the price and quality information provided compare across companies?