October 18, 2007
How good is my doctor, my hospital?
Today we live in a time when we can get information regarding any consumer product. We can compare cars, dishwashers, office equipment and anything else we might use. But have you ever tried to evaluate how good of a doctor or hospital you are using ranks?
There are more and more services that are beginning to provide comparison tools for doctors, hospitals, nursing homes and other health professionals. There have been accrediting bodies in the health field for years such as the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), Utilization Review Accreditation Commission (URAC) and others organizations that looked at the quality of providers and managed care organizations.
But consumers were left to wonder what this all meant. Today, some health insurers are providing quality information about health providers. In addition, there are companies that actually will provide information on board accreditation status, malpractice suits against a provider, patient surveys and other criteria. This information is available for a small fee that allows the consumer to understand more about a provider and make an informed decision.
As healthcare consumerism continues to grow, we will see more companies providing resources that allow a side by side comparison of doctors, hospitals, nursing homes and other medical professionals. This all makes sense as more of the cost of health insurance is being shifted to the consumer. We ought to take the initiative to manage our health care dollars with similar caution as we would with money being earmarked for other things for which we pay our hard in money.
As Health Savings Accounts and Health Reimbursement Arrangements continue to gain more popularity, consumers will have a greater interest in managing their own money or money provided by their employee. Why not use a resource that provides details on the most efficient hospital or physician. This will only save money out of your health account. So keep your eyes open for more evaluation tools to help you with making quality decision for your health care.
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