FAIR Health: Emergency Room Fees & Patient Office Visits Top Consumer Health Cost Searches

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Feb 25, 2015, 10:16 ET

NEW YORK, Feb. 25, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- An analysis of the top 15 medical and dental cost searches on FAIR Health's online FH Consumer Cost Look-up tool reveals that consumers have a great interest in the price of emergency room and patient office visits.

Searches for dental services are fairly consistent with regular teeth cleaning and root canal work remaining top of mind for price-conscious consumers.

The new data cover the last two quarters of 2013 and the same period in 2014.

"More people have access to health care and more employers now offer narrow network and high deductible health plans." said Robin Gelburd, president of FAIR Health. "Given this trend placing a greater share of costs on plan members, it is not surprising that consumers are checking the costs of a visit to the emergency room or doctor's office."

The top 15 list is based on searches conducted on the free FH Consumer Cost Lookup tool at www.fairhealthconsumer.org which consumers use to research the out-of-network cost for health procedures in a particular market. Patients can then use this information to comparison shop, budget and discuss their costs with providers.

Added Gelburd, "Consumers need not only more cost transparency, but also more clarity. Sharing price information without bolstering health care literacy and helping people navigate through a complex health care system is like giving consumers the keys to a car without offering driver's education."

Most Searched Medical Services (in order of frequency)

2014 Q3-Q4 Most Searched Medical Services	2013 Q3-Q4 Most Searched Medical Services
1. Office visit, established patient, low complexity	1. Office visit, established patient, low complexity
2. Office visit, established patient, medium complexity	2. Office visit, established patient, medium complexity
3. Emergency department visit, moderate complexity	3. Diagnostic colonoscopy
4. Office visit, new patient, low complexity	4. Office visit, new patient, low complexity
5. Emergency department visit, high severity	5. Outpatient psychotherapy, 45 minutes
6. Diagnostic colonoscopy	6. Emergency department visit, moderate complexity
7. Office visit, new patient, medium complexity	7. Individual psychotherapy office/outpatient, 45 – 50 minutes
8. Emergency department visit, significant threat to life	8. Emergency department visit, high severity
9. Office visit, established patient, high complexity	9. Office visit, established patient, high complexity
10. Therapeutic exercise, 15 minutes	10. Complete blood cell count
11. Outpatient psychotherapy, 45 minutes	11. Therapeutic exercise, 15 minutes
12. Obstetrical pre- and postpartum care, delivery	12. Emergency department visit, low-to-moderate complexity
13. Emergency department visit, low-to-moderate complexity	13. Office visit, new patient, medium complexity
14. Colonoscopy with biopsy	14. Emergency department visit, significant threat to life
15. Office visit, new patient, high complexity	15. Colonoscopy with biopsy

Most Searched Dental Services (in order of frequency)

2014 Q3-Q4 Most Searched Dental Services	2013 Q3-Q4 Most Searched Dental Services
1. Adult cleaning (prophylaxis)	1. Adult cleaning (prophylaxis)
2. Root canal on a molar tooth	2. Root canal on a molar tooth
3. Restorative crown, all ceramic	3. Comprehensive dental exam
4. Periodic oral evaluation, six month recall exam	4. Periodic oral evaluation, six month recall exam
5. Comprehensive dental exam	5. Restorative crown, all ceramic
6. White filling applied to two surfaces in a posterior tooth	6. White filling applied to two surfaces in a posterior tooth
7. Simple removal of an erupted tooth or exposed root	7. Simple removal of an erupted tooth or exposed root
8. Surgical removal of an erupted tooth requiring bone removal and elevation of soft tissue	8. White filling applied to one surface in a posterior tooth
9. Application of material to restore a tooth in order to prepare it to retain a crown	9. Surgical removal of an erupted tooth requiring bone removal and elevation of soft tissue
10. Surgical placement of dental implant into bone	10. Gum disease treatment, more than four teeth in one quadrant
11. White filling applied to one surface in a posterior tooth	11. Surgical placement of dental implant into bone
12. Restorative crown, porcelain/ceramic over metal	12. Restorative crown, porcelain/ceramic over metal
13. Gum disease treatment, more than four teeth in one quadrant	13. Oral exam of a limited duration, focusing on a problem the patient is experiencing
14. Oral exam of a limited duration, focusing on a problem the patient is experiencing	14. X-ray series, all teeth and adjacent tissue
15. Partial cleaning to help the dentist evaluate and diagnose a patient's oral health	15. Application of material to restore a tooth in order to prepare it to retain a crown

About FAIR Health

FAIR Health is a national, independent, nonprofit corporation dedicated to bringing transparency to healthcare costs and health insurance information through comprehensive data products, consumer resources and health systems research support. FAIR Health uses its database of billions of billed medical and dental services to power an award-winning free website (fairhealthconsumer.org). For more information, visit fairhealth.org.

Press Contact:
Anayo Afolabi
FAIR Health
[email protected]
646-741-9029

SOURCE FAIR Health