Dive Brief:
- HHS on Wednesday revealed the winners of its “A Bill You Can Understand” challenge, which aims to improve the look and clarity of medical bills.
- Los Angeles-based RadNet and San Francisco-based Sequence will have their patient billing designs tested and implemented in six healthcare organizations nationwide.
- The challenge – sponsored by AARP and administered by the design agency Mad*Pow – is part of a broader HHS effort to empower patients in their own healthcare.
Dive Insight:
“Helping Americans understand their medical bills empowers them to take more control of their health, and that’s a step in the right direction for our entire healthcare system,” HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell said in a news release.
The winners were selected from more than 80 submissions. HHS chose RadNet’s design for its simplicity. The company offers adaptable bills that keep pace with the patient’s experience, such as options for uninsured patients and for patients who have fallen behind on their payments. The bills also use colors and plain language to help people understand them.
Sequence’s online and mobile-based Clarify service allows people to search, browse, compare prices and choose how they’ll pay similar to other consumer billing systems. HHS selected it for its transformational approach.
After further evaluation, the two solutions will be tested at Cambia Health Solutions in Portland, OR; Geisinger Health System, Danville, PA; INTEGRIS Health, Oklahoma City; The MetroHealth System, Cleveland; Providence Health & Services, Seattle; and University of Utah Health Care, Salt Lake City.
The two designs can be viewed here.