Carol.com aims to be first online medical marketplace

Carol.com aims to be the first online medical marketplace in the U.S. by letting people to buy medical services on an à-la-carte basis. (Source: "Website may spark change in medical economics," Star Tribune, Jan. 27, 2008.) "Its creators want to do for health care what Travelocity did for airline tickets. Ankle pain? Click on the matching body part and two options pop up. For $199, doctors at Sports and Orthopaedic Specialists will check out your ankle, review your medical history and recommend treatment. TRIA Orthopaedic Center lists a similar package for $213--and a reminder that they are the team doctors for the Vikings and Timberwolves." The site also offers user reviews and info on if your health plan will pay for the procedure.

Based in Plymouth, Minnesota, Carol.com's success depends on "whether hospitals and clinics embrace the radical notion of bundling and pricing care with consumers in mind, not insurers, and make it all easy to compare. That open competition, proponents say, will drive down costs and raise quality." So far, several large health care providers in Minnesota have joined in, placing pricing info and services in the Carol.com database.