A new Issue Brief from the Health Care Cost Institute examines health care spending on shoppable services. Contrary to expectations, giving consumers prices so they can shop for health care services may only have a modest effect on reducing health spending. For example, in 2011, about 43% of the $524.2 billion spent on health care services for commercially insured individuals was considered shoppable and about 15%, nearly $81 billion, of the total spent on health care for the commercially insured was spent out of pocket.
The Brief can be accessed at http://www.healthcostinstitute.org/files/Shoppable%20Services%20IB%203.2.16_0.pdf.