Even though consumer price & quality transparency tools have become readily available from most major health plans and independent third-party vendors, each one takes a different approach to conveying information to consumers.  Purchasers need to think carefully about which design will best meet the needs of their population. Deciding which tool is right for your population and your health care strategy can be challenging.

How to use this tool:

CPR has developed tools to help you source a price and quality transparency tool and evaluate which tool is right for your population and health care strategy.

Included in this tool:

• CPR’s Model Request for Proposal (RFP) Template for Price Transparency Tools contains questions that employers and other purchasers can ask when sourcing a transparency tool.  CPR developed the RFP to help purchasers ask both health plans and vendors about how their tools incorporate quality information, the accuracy of their price estimates, the utility of the tool’s functionality, and the scope of services it covers.  This model RFP includes questions related to vendor performance, data on quality and price, customer service, scope, utility, accuracy, and reporting.

• CPR’s Comprehensive Specifications for the Evaluation of Transparency Tools provides specifications updated regularly to ensure they reflect the latest capabilities of these tools along with consumer and purchaser expectations.  This PDF serves as an easy-to-use checklist that a purchaser can reference during decision making.   The tool outlines core and bonus specifications for scope, quality, price accuracy, usability, and engagement.

• CPR’s Summary of Changes for the Specifications for the Evaluation of Transparency Tools captures the major and substantive changes to the Specifications across the categories of Scope, Quality, Price Accuracy, Usability, and Engagement.