New York City, USA – Navigating healthcare costs just got a bit easier for residents of New York City.
PatientRightsAdvocate.org (PRA) on Monday announced the launch of the New York City Hospital Price Finder Tool, a free online resource designed to empower patients, employers, unions, and researchers with access to hospital pricing information.
The tool, available at NYCHospitalPrices.org, allows users to search for available prices posted by hospitals in the city.
The goal is to help people compare costs, prevent overcharges, and provide recourse when faced with unexpected “surprise” medical bills.
Users can search by hospital, procedure, insurance plan, and billing code.
“The New York City Hospital Price Finder Tool is a huge step for New York City healthcare consumers, who have long suffered from hidden healthcare prices, kept secret by hospitals and insurers alike,” said Cynthia Fisher, Founder and Chairman of PRA.
She added that the tool enables patients to compare actual prices, including discounted cash rates, to choose affordable care with financial certainty and protection against overcharges.
The launch follows efforts by local officials to address healthcare transparency. In December 2022, New York City Council Member Julie Menin sponsored legislation (Intro. 844-A) to create the nation’s first Office of Health Care Accountability. This law, which passed unanimously and was signed in June 2023, aims to provide New Yorkers with upfront pricing information for healthcare decisions.
“New Yorkers will no longer live in fear that medical care will put them in financial ruin,” stated Council Member Julie Menin. “Following our work to establish the Office of Health Care Accountability, this tool is the next step to provide New Yorkers with the resources needed to find the highest quality of care at the best price.”
The impact of hidden prices is keenly felt by many families. The Singh family of New York City shared their experience, noting that having upfront and real prices would have allowed them to make more informed decisions about their son’s treatments, benefiting both his health and their financial situation.
“If we had been able to compare in advance, we would have been willing to drive a little further, or perhaps even had a better option nearby, to avoid the tremendous debt that has burdened our family,” said Shameeza Singh.
The New York City Hospital Price Finder is the first of its kind in the city and is part of a broader national effort by PRA, which recently introduced a similar tool in Colorado. Manny Pastreich, President of 32BJ SEIU, commented that easy access to prices is crucial for healthcare price transparency. “The New York City Hospital Price Finder will allow New Yorkers to quickly compare healthcare prices across the city,” he said, emphasizing the need for real transparency and accountability to lower costs.
PatientRightsAdvocate.org (PRA) is a national healthcare price transparency organization that works to bring systemwide transparency through advocacy, research, and grassroots efforts. PRA believes that making actual, upfront healthcare prices available and visible will lower costs for patients and employers by fostering a competitive healthcare marketplace.
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