Cleveland and Houston Newscasts Feature Price Transparency Success Stories and PRA

The NBC news affiliates in Cleveland and Houston recently ran powerful stories and segments featuring patients enjoying substantial healthcare savings through price transparency and including the perspective of PRA.

WKYC Cleveland tells the story of Kim Cromwell, who paid a discounted cash rate of $3,500 for a surgery that would have been over $12,000 with insurance:

Cromwell got a cash discount simply by asking, which most uninsured don't know. And those with insurance don't take advantage of because they assume the costs will be covered.

It's something hospitals count on, according to Cynthia Fisher, founder of PatientRightsAdvocate.org, "because they're making way too much money keeping us in the dark, blindsiding us many times with overcharging or price gouging or up-charging."

Watch the Cleveland segment HERE.

KRPC Houston tells the story of Mike Wall, who paid a cash price of $5,200 for his daughter’s ear surgery at the price transparent Texas Free Market Surgery — a procedure that would have cost him $30,000 to $40,000 at a local hospital:

Mike found the best place for their family and Natalie had a successful surgery. “Surgery went perfect. Everything went as smoothly as possible. I can hear. I have no more ear infections. Haven’t had a problem with my ears since,” Natalie said.

“So, this is a huge win for the American consumers of health care,” said Cynthia Fisher, founder of Patients Rights Advocate.org…. “There is a new law in place that started Jan. 1 this year, that all patients have the right to know prices before we get care by hospitals having to post online their discounted cash prices,” Fisher said.

Watch the Houston segment HERE.

Photo credit: Danielle Serino, WKYC