Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield will be introducing a health care shopping service in northeastern Wisconsin.
Anthem Blue, a unit of WellPoint Inc., Indianapolis, began testing the service, the Care Comparison tool, in Dayton, Ohio, in September 2006.
The tool helps patients see the total estimated costs associated with 39 specific medical procedures performed at specific local hospitals, Anthem Blue says.
The totals, based on Anthem Blue claims data, include all costs associated with each procedure, such as the lab tests and recovery room charges associated with a heart operation, and not just with the cost of a specific item, Anthem Blue says.
Offering the tool in northeastern Wisconsin now makes the information available to 3 million additional consumers, Anthem Blue says.
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