Transparency will influence how members choose providers.

ORGANIZATIONAL transparency; UNITED States. General Accounting Office; HEALTH planning; MEDICAL care costs; GOFF, Ronnie; GOWDY, Wayne; COMPUTER software

The article discusses the September 2011-report of the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) on healthcare price transparency. It mentions the member payment estimator from Aetna Inc., a health plan tool that support healthcare price transparency. According to Ronnie Goff of National Business Group on Health, there is no reason to prohibit healthcare price from consumers. Wayne Gowdy of Aetna says that their members are becoming aware of the variation in price and end quality of health services.