Dani Yuengling, a 35-year-old South Carolinian, had a family history of fatal breast cancer. So when she noticed a lump in one of her breasts, she immediately made an appointment to see her doctor. Though her biopsy was covered by insurance, she still had to pay $5,169 out of her own pocket.
If she hadn’t used her insurance, Yuengling would have saved $3,000.
This story is far too common. Insurers don’t negotiate the best deals and patients waste money paying for treatments their insurers “cover.”
Reducing the price of health care has stumped politicians for a long time. As election season comes to a close, politicians will need to move beyond their campaign talking points about health care reform and start working to implement ideas to help people like Yuengling.
That’s why we designed for the Cicero Institute the Patient’s Right to Save Act: a policy to ensure that individuals with insurance know the best cash price that will be accepted for care and don’t get penalized by their insurer for saving money with a cash-based option. It also gives the sickest people a financial incentive when they seek care via a less-expensive cash option to help offset their high out-of-pocket costs. These steps can cut wasteful spending up to 40% by rewarding people who shop for the best prices without sacrificing quality.
