In  covering cost transparency trends in the self-funded community, Ernie Clevenger mentions change:healthcare in his weekly newsletter MyHealthGuide Newsletter.

Read the full article here: http://www.myhealthguide.com/news.htm#change:healthcare

Light in the Darkness: How Information Will Create Transparency in Healthcare
Presentation Transcript
Miriam Paramore
SVP Strategy and Government Affairs at Emdeon
August 26, 2010

Presented at “The Naked Hospital – A Provocative Look at Healthcare” a Nashville Technology Council super roundtable event., Miriam Paramore of Emdeon, mentions change:healthcare in reference to cost transparency in the healthcare industry.

http://www.slideshare.net/nashtechcouncil/light-in-the-darkness-how-information-will-create-transparency-in-healthcare

Not the Government. Not the Employer.

In compliance with new health reform laws, employers are re-evaluating their health care benefits. In order to stay profitable as health care costs accelerate, “…more of the nation’s biggest businesses are planning to hike premiums and cost-sharing measures on their employees next year.”

Prices for health care vary. Becoming smarter healthcare consumers is the best way for employees to protect themselves. Cost transparency and having the opportunity to choose providers and services based on price and location are key.

Faced with rising health costs, large employers plan to shift burden to workers
By Mike Lillis – 08/18/10 11:46 AM ET
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/114823-faced-with-rising-health-costs-large-employers-plan-to-shift-burden-to-workers-

Christopher Parks was the guest blogger on “For the Record” by Dan Prince, President of Catalyst Healthcare Research. Read his entry “Healthcare Costs, Transparency and Feeling Vindicated.“

http://www.catalysthealthcareresearch.com/learning-center/for-the-record/2010/08/17/healthcare-costs-transparency-and-feeling-vindicated/

CHANGE:HEALTHCARE CEO TO RECEIVE “INNOVATOR AWARD”
FOR WORK IN CONSUMER DIRECTED HEALTHCARE (CDHC) AND BENEFITS INDUSTRIES

NASHVILLE, Tenn., (August 9, 2010) – The Chief Executive Officer of Nashville-based cost transparency company change:healthcare, Christopher Parks, has been picked to receive an “Innovator Award” from national health and benefits magazine CDHC Solutions.

The accolade is part of the magazine’s annual “Solutions Superstars” program that identifies the best cutting-edge work in the healthcare benefits and compensation arenas.  The award recognizes Park’s and change:healthcare’s pioneering efforts helping employers maximize the return from their consumer-directed healthcare (CDHC) plans and their employees reduce healthcare costs.

“This award is humbling,” Parks said.  “Our sole purpose as a company has been to harness web technology in innovative ways to help employers and employees save money on their healthcare expenses…while better navigating the country’s healthcare system in the process.   I’m grateful for a team of employees that loves to find novel solutions to healthcare costs challenges and clients that want to partner with us in putting them in place.  This award is testimony to all of them.”
The healthcare technology company provides information to employers, employees and third party administrators to assist them make more informed healthcare consumer purchase decisions that save money.   Specifically, the company helps employers with consumer directed healthcare (CDHC) plans and their workers choose the most affordable providers for medical services, treatments and prescriptions by analyzing a company’s medical claims and continually sending cost-savings alerts to employees when savings opportunities are found.

CDHC (Consumer Directed Health Care) Solutions is a publication of the Field Media Group based in Alpharetta, Georgia, which serves the human resources and benefits industries.  An integrated media operating company, its other communications property is EmployersWeb.com magazine.

A 20-year veteran of the healthcare industry, Christopher Parks founded change:healthcare in 2006 following management stints at various healthcare companies including Healthways, HealthCare Microsystems, National Seating & Mobility and Global Healthcare Exchange (previously Neoforma).  

We have moved just down the street into a new office space in Maryland Farms business park in Brentwood, TN. Please take note of our new address:

change:healthcare
12 cadillac drive, suite 240
brentwood, tn 37027

800-655-0732
615-523-1255
info@changehealthcare.com

Kaiser Health News, in collaboration with the Los Angeles Times, recently wrote a brief piece on a cost-saving service change:healthcare has been encouraging consumers to do all along: negotiate the price of service with your doctor’s office, especially if you can’t afford the amount they’re billing you for. The article advises taking the following steps:

• Understand your treatment so you can avoid unnecessary procedures and/or tests
• Shop around for the best price, which can vary by location
• Offer to pay a negotiated rate upfront so the provider won’t have to wait to be reimbursed
• Get the lower-price agreement in writing

Of course, change:healthcare is designed to assist you with several of these steps. We aim to inform you about both the types of procedures and medications you might be receiving, as well as the range of prices of these services in your region. You don’t want to be overpaying on an already big-ticket item like your healthcare, so keep in mind that it never hurts to ask for that discount!

SOURCE: http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2010/August/02/doctor-discounts-patients.aspx?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NewFromKaiserHealthNews+%28New+From+Kaiser+Health+News%29

Consumers seek more healthcare cost information to make prudent, cost-effective purchases

BRENTWOOD, Tenn., (July 29, 2010) – With healthcare spending expected to increase dramatically over the next decade, two recent studies by the Society of Actuaries confirm what healthcare technology company change:healthcare has been saying all along. Transparency would be a boon to helping patients and consumers make better healthcare purchase decisions and lower healthcare costs in general. Download the PDF to read more.

Christopher Parks, Co-founder & CEO of change:healthcare, lends his expertise in healthcare economics at the upcoming “Shaping A Greater Nashville” discussion on August 12, 2010. Other panelists include Doug Brandon, Managing Principal, Cassidy Turley; Rob McNeilly, President & CEO, SunTrust Bank; David Penn, Associate Professor – Economics, MTSU

August 12th
Hermitage Hotel!
Registration begins at 3:30 p.m. with coffee, snacks, and networking.
The discussion begins at 4:00. The event will end promptly at 5:00 p.m.

http://nashville.bizjournals.com/nashville/event/27811

With the Obama administration’s proposed changes to healthcare, individuals with chronic or pre-existing conditions, or “high-risk patients,” will be able to find coverage by joining insurance pools of other high-risk patients. The policies are designed to keep deductibles and co-pays low, and to bring premiums to the standard rates for healthy adults in the area. To see if you’re eligible and learn how to take advantage of these new measures, read Walecia Konrad’s article in The New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/26/health/policy/26patient.html?ref=health