Critics say health consumers lack access to data

The introduction of high-deductible health plans was expected to usher in an era of informed health consumers, but critics say obtaining data on cost and quality is still too difficult (Source: “In Cincinnati, health care data still lags ‘choice’ shift,” Business Courier of Cincinnati, Dec. 22, 2008).

Insurers promote high-deductible plans as a way to keep costs down for employers and employees by giving consumers an incentive to become engaged in their own care and shop for the most cost-effective treatment. But the information they need is not always readily available, underscoring the need for greater data collection and better means by which to disseminate it.

“The state of transparency is still in its infancy,” said Craig Brammer, senior research associate in public health sciences at the University of Cincinnati. “There have been considerable advances in the last few years. While prior efforts may have been flawed, I think we’re going to see a lot more sophisticated collection and analysis of data in the future.”