Aetna makes health care cost information available on the Web

Americans are taking on more financial responsibility for their health care and, as a result, need access to a robust suite of tools and information in order to make informed decisions.

The insurance company, in a press release, says it is attempting to "support and encourage members to be informed health care consumers" in various initiatives, including "expansion of its health care transparency initiatives to additional markets," which include Connecticut; Massachusetts; Fort Myers, Fla.; Colorado; Raleigh/Durham, NC; Ohio; Pittsburgh, PA; West Virginia, among other locations.

"We know that many people conduct online research before making major buying decisions. In fact, according to a Pew Internet and American Life report, 80 percent of American Internet users, or some 113 million adults, have searched for health information online," Mark Bertolini, Aetna’s president, was quoted as saying in the press release.

Aetna’s "suite of health care transparency tools" are available through Aetna Navigator, a member self-service site which includes the following resources:

• Medical Procedure by Facility Cost: Launched in November 2007, this tool is now available in 36 markets and provides members with facility-specific and managing physician costs for over 30 common medical procedures — such as maternity care, CT scan, colonoscopy and sleep study — from admission through discharge.
• Physician-specific Clinical Quality and Efficiency Transparency: Launched in August 2006, this program provides members with physician-specific indicators based on adverse events, 30-day hospital re-admit rates, overall efficiency in use of medical services, and volume of Aetna members treated. Aetna members have access to clinical quality and efficiency information in 34 markets for 12 specialty categories including cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery, gastroenterology, general surgery, neurology, neurosurgery, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedics, otolaryngology, plastic surgery, urology and vascular surgery.
• Physician-specific Price Transparency: Launched in August 2005, this tool is now available in 49 markets and offers access to physician-specific pricing for up to 30 of the most common services and procedures, by specialty, such as routine office visits, allergy tests, x-rays, and mammograms.

In addition to the expansion to the cost tools, Aetna recently introduced the Aetna Navigator Health Information Guide for members looking for a starting point to find answers to questions about their health care, types of treatment and cost of services — before, during and after they seek care.

According to the press release, Aetna members also have access to quality of care information for hospitals around the country through the Aetna Navigator Hospital Comparison Tool. When members use the search tool, a report will allow them to compare hospitals and make better decisions about where to access hospital care for themselves and their families. Hospitals may be compared based on the number of patients treated each year, complication rates, mortality rates, as well as the average length of stay for more than 150 procedures and diagnoses. Other hospital quality information, such as results from The Leapfrog Hospital Survey, may be reviewed on the site, the insurance company noted in the press release.

For individuals who are not Aetna members, but would like to check out the system, a "test-drive" is available on Aetna’s public site.

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