The US health-care industry may be best known for its problems, which currently include a labyrinth of Byzantine rules and regulations, covert pricing schemes and millions of citizens without insurance. At the end of January, however, a Minnesota-based site launched that just may give the industry the shake-up it so desperately needs.
Carol, also billed as The Care Marketplace, describes itself as an online shopping mall that gives consumers everything they need to shop, compare and purchase health care much the way they do other goods and services. Focusing on the Minneapolis and Twin Cities area, consumers can go online to compare the cost and quality of more than 350 health services from local, competing health care providers and doctors, and then select the option best suited for them. Participating providers create condition-specific care packages of related health care services, such as common immunizations, neck and back pain diagnosis and treatment, pregnancy classes, a year’s worth of diabetes care, or in-home check-ups. Each provider specifies on Carol's site what's included, the location of treatment, the types of patients treated (men, women or kids) and the total price of the package, along with quality information and customer ratings. Carol, meanwhile, works with insurance companies to verify consumer membership and provide cost estimates for care packages. The result is that consumers can apply their health insurance benefits and instantly view base prices and estimated in-network and out-of-pocket costs for each health care service. Carol's services are free for consumers with or without health insurance, and appointments can be scheduled online through the site.
Thirty Minneapolis-area providers have already joined Carol, which plans to expand to additional US markets over the course of this year. Health-care entrepreneurs: This could do for health care what Travelocity did for airline reservations. Pay close attention! (Related: Doctor 2.0.)
Website: www.carol.com
Contact: customerservice@carol.com
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This is a great idea. Pretty sure the medical industry will hate it as they seem to make it deliberately difficult to compare costs of procedures - "It's medicine not a business!" they cry - well stop bloody charging us like it is one then.
I hope this idea spreads to my neck-of-the-woods. I currently am not insured and like to know what services cost. For example, and just for fun, I checkout what 2 dental implants would cost at the Carol website, and found a price discrepancy of multiple thousands of dollars between competing dentists. Good stuff! I linked to this Springwise.com post in my blog for the Innovators-Network ( http://blog.innovators-network.org ) in hopes that some of my readers will visit your site and read the whole piece for themselves.
A similar site www.doctorsatdistance.com exists, and covers expensive surgery options.
The time for educated shopping for healthcare services has truly arrived
Definitely a step in the right direction, but I think we still need to strive for a universal health care system. It's really the only way to make sure everyone is covered. Go see the movie Sicko if you haven't already.
Wayne
www.muvar.com
Another reason why the US needs to provide universal health care for all.
iverge | February 11, 2008 5:36 PM