Center for Improving Value in Health Care (CIVHC) recently released a Spanish version of the Shop for Care tool based on price information in the Colorado All Payer Claims Database (CO APCD). The release is an effort to help more Coloradans in need shop for health care services across hospitals and facilities in the state, and help them save thousands of dollars on non-emergent services.
Only a handful of states across the U.S. offer a shopping tool similar to the one in Colorado, and creating a Spanish version was recently identified as an important goal by CIVHC’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team. In addition to a Spanish version, CIVHC made the tool more mobile friendly, increasing accessibility on multiple devices.
“Creating a tool that Spanish speaking Coloradans could access has been a top priority for CIVHC this year and advances our goals to improve health equity,” explained Cari Frank, CIVHC VP of Communication and Marketing and head of CIVHC’s public reporting team. “We realize that to engage meaningfully with communities who have significant challenges when it comes to accessing health care, like people of color and immigrants, we need to reach the non-English speaking community with our tools and resources. This is an important first step toward achieving that goal.”
Coloradans who speak Spanish as their primary language can use the tool to make informed decisions on where to access services like x-rays, MRIs, CT scans, and other major services and procedures like cataract surgeries, deliveries, and knee replacements. Price is not the only factor that is important to consider when selecting a health care facility, so the tool also enables users to simultaneously compare health care quality and patient experience at many of the locations available.
The original Shop for Care tool, launched several years ago, is accessed by thousands of Coloradans annually, and has resulted in thousands of dollars in savings. On the low end, shopping for a more basic imaging procedure like a mammogram can help consumers save upwards of $150, whereas selecting the lowest price facility for a coronary angioplasty could save Coloradans as much as $38,000. .
Providers and facilities can also benefit from using the tool to see how their prices compare to their peers, make informed decisions about referrals, and assist patients without health insurance with finding options to fit their financial needs.
CIVHC updates the Shop for Care tool with new data and procedures regularly and plans to add more information in the coming years. If you have suggestions on how to improve the Spanish or English version of the Shop for Care tool or have questions, please send us an email at info@civhc.org.
Need help with a bill or your health insurance coverage? The Colorado Consumer Health Initiative’s Consumer Assistance Program can help!