Apparently, patients don’t see a need to pay Cadillac prices for the “Cadillac” of healthcare services (wherever they may exist). Most participants in a new report published in Health Affairs don’t associate higher cost with higher quality when it comes to making healthcare decisions—a departure from the expected consumer mindset when it comes to buying other goods and services. Among the questions included in the survey: “Would you say higher prices are typically a sign of better quality medical care or not?”, and “If one doctor charged less than another doctor for the same service, would you think that the less expensive doctor is providing lower quality care or would you not think that?” Between 58% and 71% (depending on the question) did not associate higher price with higher quality. The results call into question the value of posting prices for given services.
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Patients Don’t Associate Higher Cost with Better Care