New Hampshire residents beginning March 1 will be able to access online cost estimates, based on insurance claims data, for common procedures and tests at facilities across the state, the New Hampshire Union Leader reports.
New Hampshire's HealthCost Web site was jointly created by the state's health and insurance departments. The state since 2005 has required insurance carriers and third-party administrators to submit claims data for all members covered by policies issued in New Hampshire. Maine and New Hampshire are the only two states to require such information, and New Hampshire will be the first to make the data available to the public, Leslie Ludtke, a health policy analyst for the New Hampshire Department of Insurance, said.
Users will select their insurance plan and medical test or procedure, and then they will be able to compare how much the service will cost at various facilities. The data will include all anticipated procedure charges, not just the hospital billing, the Union Leader reports. Uninsured residents also will be able to use the site to compare out-of-pocket costs for medical services. The HealthCost Web site will be updated quarterly.
The next part of the HealthCost project will be to create a Web site that will let employers compare available insurance plans for their companies, according to state officials (Wickham, New Hampshire Union Leader, 1/21).