
Why healthcare price transparency initiatives are failing? - kikouyou
http://www.quora.com/Why-healthcare-price-transparency-initiatives-are-failing?share=1
======
pallavsharda
You are right about consumers being the key. My first 3 startup attempts were
enterprise health... thought I knew insides of the system enough to be able to
sell them on new tech/solutions that can change care for better.

Wrong. I found people willing to say they will adopt new tech, but
fundamentally there was no incentive to actually take the steps.

To be fair, consumers are also not 100% motivated to be more accountable for
their health. Delayed gratification may be a reason. But still, they will
change faster than the establishment. And that may force the health
establishment eventually.

Even well-researched, clinical trial based evidence from established research
teams takes >decade to get entrenched into medical practice. Check this out:
[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1395794/](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1395794/)

Sigh.

------
coldtea
Because non-transparency is a multi hundrend billion dollar industry -- with
the financial, media, and political power that comes from that?

~~~
kikouyou
Unfortunately you are right, but this does not help us consumers to spend less
on medical. If we do not grab this issue at heart, prices will continue to
move up together with deductibles and consumer with insurance will not get
care when needed. It is not good for the society. we are the only force to try
to change that by publishing all the prices in our app. Please support us
[https://goo.gl/PvPypQ](https://goo.gl/PvPypQ)

------
pallavsharda
In one word, the reason is incentives. I felt compelled to write details down
on quora..

~~~
kikouyou
Very true Pallav and incentives are coming in the for of carrot (save money
when you shop) and stick (High deductibles). I think we agree that before the
consumer gets involved, nothing will happen to improve the system. One
difficulty with these incentives is that it calls for new behavior and a
minimum of understanding of how Healthcare work. I believe that the stick will
finally win to get consumers to move.

