More than half of Americans — 51 percent — will look for a new healthcare provider if the Supreme Court rules to eliminate the subsidies, according to a recently released TransUnion Healthcare survey.
Eighty percent of survey respondents said upfront cost estimates and bedside manner are key factors in this decision, and an equal number of respondents stated that clear billing processes are important. Billing processes have caused major confusion among patients, causing 61 percent of insured consumers to say they are confused by their out-of-pocket healthcare costs. Another 55 percent said they are confused by the bills they receive.
The survey also showed that patients are continually becoming more cost conscious when selecting health insurance and treatment: The number of patients who requested estimates of healthcare costs before a treatment increased by 6 percent this year. Additionally, 85 percent of respondents said that receiving information about their health coverage before treatment would be helpful.
Unfortunately, healthcare providers are not keeping up with patients' demands. Thirty-one percent of respondents in large states and 26 percent of respondents in smaller states received front-end cost estimates without requesting the information.
"Today's healthcare patients increasingly expect cost transparency and front-end estimates when selecting a provider, and it's incumbent on the provider to have the technology in place to provide accurate, clear and fair estimates before treatment," said Gerry McCarthy, president of TransUnion Healthcare.
In particular, residents of Illinois, Georgia and Virginia showed growing concern regarding out-of-pocket costs since last year's survey. The number of Illinois respondents who reported increased concern about out-of-pocket costs increased from 36 percent in 2014 to 42 percent in 2015, the number of Georgia respondents concerned over these costs increased from 35 percent to 41 percent and the number of Virginia respondents with these concerns increased from 33 percent to 37 percent.
Additionally, the survey found that cost transparency and billing correlates to patient satisfaction, as 83 percent of respondents who rated the quality of care as high also rated their billing and payment experiences positively.
"This survey suggests that cost and billing experiences significantly influence how patients view their provider and highlights the continued confusion about healthcare bills," said Mr. McCarthy. "As consumers become more sophisticated in understanding healthcare costs, providers must be prepared to answer financial questions they were rarely asked 10 or even five years ago."