New Direct-to-Consumer Healthcare Solution Brings Price Transparency to Surgery

DALLAS, May 12, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- I Need a Surgery (INS), a new direct-to-consumer surgical solution and education platform for the general public, officially launched when its website — www.INeedASurgery.com — went live in early May. INS connects insured and uninsured patients in need of outpatient surgery with carefully selected, high-quality ambulatory surgery centers. These surgery centers provide procedures at a pre-determined, all-inclusive price that is substantially lower than the cost of the same procedure at a hospital.

By using INS, patients gain the ability to make an educated choice of where to receive their care, and with the INS "No Surprises Guarantee," this care comes without unexpected costs. Once patients schedule their surgery and lock in a price through INS, there are no surprise bills.

INS was founded by healthcare industry veteran Jeff Blankinship. Blankinship is the president of Surgical Notes, the preeminent nationwide provider of transcription, coding and other related information technology services for the ambulatory surgery center and surgical hospital markets. Founded in 1997, Surgical Notes has deep relationships in the ambulatory surgery industry, with more than 600 surgery center and surgical hospital clients across the country.

"Up until now, healthcare consumers had little to no control over where they underwent surgery and how much they paid for that care. Patients would go wherever their physicians told them, and only after receiving the surgery would they learn the cost of that care. Through INS, consumers can finally gain control of their healthcare," Blankinship said. "Healthcare is shifting, and consumers are shouldering more of the burden of paying their own medical costs through rising premiums, deductibles and copays. INS brings much-needed consumerism to the industry. It empowers consumers by giving them the tools to learn about the care they need, understand their options for where to receive that care and know exactly what that care will cost. The educated consumers who schedule their procedure through INS will receive superior care at a lower price."

INS provides additional benefits to consumers. The website offers easy-to-understand education on the most common outpatient surgery procedures and a "surgery calculator" that allows patients to determine how much money they can save by scheduling their surgery through INS. In addition, through an exclusive relationship with WellDyne Health, all WellCardRx holders receive discounts off procedures booked through INS. Enrollment in WellCardRx is free to consumers, and cardholders gain substantial prescription benefits from hundreds of pharmacies across the U.S.

INS is a spinoff of the Surgery Center Network (SCN), a service also focused on price transparency and consumerism. SCN, which launched in early 2013, highlights and connects surgery centers to insurance plans as well as group health and workers' compensation employers.

"Many consumers are unaware that ambulatory surgery centers offer more affordable, safer and better quality care than other settings, making it imperative that surgery centers become more involved in direct marketing to consumers," Blankinship said. "By working with INS and SCN, surgery centers can gain the incremental patient volume they need."

ASCs interested in learning more about how a partnership with INS will benefit their organization should contact INS through www.INeedASurgery.com.

About Surgery Center Network

Surgery Center Network (SCN), hosted at www.SurgeryCenterNetwork.com, features an established network of ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). By accessing the network, users can perform surgery cost comparisons, receive surgery education and outcomes data, and conduct searches to locate and evaluate ASCs in their neighborhood or throughout the country. Surgery centers joining the SCN network receive significant benefits, including a comprehensive listing and direct link to their website, and increased exposure to self-funded group health, work-related and cash-paying patients. Sister company Surgical Notes (www.SurgicalNotes.com) has been an industry-leading provider of medical transcription, coding and other value-added information services for ASCs for more than 15 years.

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SOURCE Surgery Center Network