The essence of Consumer Driven Health Care

At its core, Consumer Driven Health Care is about asking “Is there a less expensive way to reach the same treatment goal?” Here are three true examples: My brother, suffering from a respiratory infection asked his physician (who was suggesting more tests to confirm the diagnosis) how the treatment plan would differ based on the results of the test. The answer, no difference. The cost of the test was avoided. An employee recounted to me last week how after switching to an HDHP he discovered his prescription was not the $50.00 month he had been spending but actually $150.00. The physician didn’t even realize he had put him on  a tier 3 drug and quickly wrote a prescription for a generic. The employee saved $46.00 a month and the employer saved $100.00 per month. Lastly, an insurance agent I met recently told of how his wife had dislocated her shoulder  and needed surgery. They are on an HDHP with an HSA. When the physician ordered an MRI to confirm the diagnosis, the patient asked if the MRI would reveal anything more than a less expensive X-ray would. The answer, no. The savings: $1,000+.

All of these questions resulted in less expensive, rather than less effective, health care.  And they accomplished that with no new technology, no challenge to the physician’s expertise, just a few simple questions. That is the essence of Consumer Driven Health Care.