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Here we are in 2020 and people are still agencies in 2014. The cost for a hospitalfeeling the affects of the worst healthcare ization is estimated at $10,000 to $13,000, plan the world has ever seen “Obama with average length of stay of 4.5 days.3 Care” is causing people to file bankruptOur healthcare system is in need of cy. Filing for bankruptcy is often considan overhaul. According to Torio and ered a worst-case scenario. Moore,3 implanted devices such as grafts are among the top four most expensive And for many Americans who do purconditions. As vascular healthcare providsue that last-ditch effort to rescue their ers, we have the capability to impact this finances, it is because of one reason: number. health-care costs. As healthcare payers and consumers shift A new study from academic researchers to value-based healthcare, cost is driving found that 66.5 percent of all bankruptconsumer decisions. How many times cies were tied to medical issues —either have we encountered a significant price should communicate information profesbecause of high costs for care or time out difference in diagnostic test and medicasional service cost, 4) healthcare plans of work. An estimated 530,000 families tion cost? When seeking care for a family should provide real-time benefits and cost turn to bankruptcy each year because member, or ourselves, it becomes evident savings information for both in network of medical issues and bills, the research that care in a hospital facility is quite and out of network providers, 5) health found. 1 expensive compared with a free-standing plans and stakeholders should collaborate outpatient facility. The focus is shifting to facilitate price and quality transparenDid the Affordable Care Act help reduced toward nonurgent/emergent diagnostic cy for patients and physicians, 6) ensure the burden of medical debt for people? testing in the outpatient setting. The chalaccuracy and relevance for price transparBased on this article I found by Jasmiry lenge faced by consumers is cost transency tools, 7) all-payer claims database Bennett, DNP, RN, ACNP-BC titled, parency. Poor health literacy coupled with should be supported and strengthened, “Healthcare: Let’s talk transparency” and the complexities of healthcare pricing has and 8) electronic health records vendors other information people and the healthlead to ineffective and inefficient use of should include features that assist in facilcare system are worst. Despite gains in healthcare dollars. It is quite challenging itating price transparency for providers coverage and access to care from the to know the cost of medical care because and patients.2 ACA, our findings suggest that it did not there are a multitude of complex conchange the proportion of bankruptcies tractual agreements between facilities, How we render healthcare in our commuwith medical causes,” an article on the providers, and third-party payer.2 The nities is changing. We are transitioning study published in the American Journal consumer is left to figure out costs, but from healthcare being rendered in an of Public Health states. Read her article unfortunately, the cost is known after acute care facility to providing care in below. the care has been rendered. It has been the community. Consumers of healthcare estimated that approximately 66.5% of note increasing high out-of-pocket costs Healthcare costs in the United States Americans go bankrupt because of mediand deductibles, the need to shop around skyrocket every year. This is evidenced cal debt.1 As patients become more active for the best price while receiving high by the increased social media solicitation consumers of healthcare, the American quality. As outpatient community service for financial assistance to pay medical Medical Association proposes eight ways demands continues to grow, I believe bills. Himmelstein, et al.1 state the US to increase healthcare price transparenconsumerism will drive the imperative Consumer Financial Protection Bureau cy. The American Medical Association need for price transparency and health litreported that they were the most common recommends the following: 1) developing eracy, forcing all in healthcare to become cause of unpaid bills sent to collection resources to help patients understand the competitively priced for the services complexities of healthcare pricing, 2) provided. 2 1 This is the real reason most Americans file for make pricing information for common 16 AMPNATION

Konish procedure a requirement for all health professions and entities, 3) physicians 2 Journal of Vascular Nursing Volume 38, Issue 1,