HealthSparq, a healthcare transparency and guidance company, announced findings from a survey of more than 1,000 people across the country exploring their behaviors and opinions on a number of healthcare topics. The findings, published in the 2022 Annual Consumer Sentiment Benchmark, revealed that 44% of respondents have avoided getting healthcare services because they were unsure of the costs. That number was a steep increase from just a year ago, when 25% reported skipping care.
Encouragingly, the survey found an increasing number of consumers reporting access to transparency tools. In the study, transparency tools were broadly defined as online tools from insurance companies where members can search for in-network providers (“Find a Doctor”), get cost estimates for procedures, learn about treatment options, and/or get guidance on insurance-covered options. With 70% of respondents indicating the availability of these tools at their health plan, the rate is at its highest point in the survey’s four-year history.
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