General News
Published March 18, 2019
One of the common complaints about healthcare is surprise costs. It's the reason Premera Blue Cross makes the Find a Doctor tool available to help prevent unexpected bills.
With Find a Doctor, Premera members can estimate their medical treatment costs with in-network providers.
Why employees should estimate their treatment costs
The cost for the same healthcare service can vary greatly between providers. That's the reason your employees should use Find a Doctor to compare prices of medical services in their plan's provider network. With this tool, Premera members can quickly research their healthcare costs in advance and take action to lower their out-of-pocket expenses.
How it works
To start estimating treatment costs, members should follow these steps:
- Sign in to their member account at premera.com. Once signed in, members get tailor-made cost estimates based on their plan's current bills and deductibles.
- Select Compare treatment costs under the Estimate Treatment Costs section, or choose Find a Doctor in the top navigation bar. They can search for nearby doctors and hospitals that provide the services and procedures they need.
- Click Explore and select Medical procedure costs. Then choose from a wide variety of procedures such as tests and screenings, physical rehabilitation, CT scans, or surgical procedures to compare costs.
Tell your employees
You'll find ready-to-share communications about Find a Doctor and how to estimate treatment costs on B'link. B'link is Premera's link to resources that make benefits simple for both you and your employees. Search for Understand your benefits and costs to find a customizable flyer, ready-to-share email, and copy-and-paste content in a variety of lengths.
What about the All-Payer Claims Database for Washington State?
You may have heard of Washington State’s All-Payer Claims Database. It gives the public access to accurate cost predictions for a selection of health care procedures by combining the actual costs from more than 55 health insurance companies. The database can be a good starting point, but keep in mind that actual costs may be different based on your employees’ health plan.
Premera recommends members use the Find a Doctor tool to estimate and compare treatment costs and to determine if a provider is covered under their health plan. When members research a service or procedure, they’ll get a list of in-network providers in their area. They'll also get estimated costs they can expect to pay based on their plan’s coverage and the amount remaining to meet their deductible.