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Coverage Highlights
“Now health care is getting its Kayaks and Trulias.” Tina Rosenberg, “Revealing a Health Care Secret: The Price,” The New York Times.
“People are demanding control over health expenses and treatments, trying to manage out-of-pocket costs and confusing bills, and seeking the care they need at prices they can afford.” Jeanne Pinder, “It’s Absurd That Health Care Costs Are So Confusing,” Harvard Business Review/New England Journal of Medicine.
“Pinder in her testimony told lawmakers that more California residents are ‘actually shopping for health care.’ ” California Healthline, California State Senate hearings on health care prices.
“Lowering health care costs: Some benevolent geniuses are on it,” Ester Bloom, The Billfold.
“The cash price for a lower-back MRI without dye ranges from $475 at the Castro Valley Open MRI to a whopping $6,221 at the University of California, San Francisco at Mt. Zion.” Jayne O’Donnell, “Huge health care price differences,” USAToday.
“When people see this data, [Pinder] says, ‘they don’t behave the same way in the marketplace again.’” Melinda Beck, “How to Cut Your Health Care Bill: Pay Cash,” The Wall Street Journal.
“It is time to take off the blindfold and embrace transparency in pricing for medical care and services.” Lisa Aliferis, our PriceCheck partner, “Variation in Prices for Common Medical Tests and Procedures,” JAMA Internal Medicine.
“I hope to continue to see these programs expand as part of an effort to provide essential information for patients and clinicians to make wise and informed choices in health care.” Rita F. Redberg, MD, MSc, “A New Program for Sharing Medical Cost Information,” Editor’s Note, JAMA Internal Medicine.
Stories by year, 2023
Aug 16: “How to erase medical debt and avoid overpaying,” The Money with Katie Show, Morning Brew.
Aug.15: “KXAN medical debt investigation with ClearHealthCosts wins a national Edward R. Murrow award,” Katie Winkle, Josh Hinkle, KXAN.
July 5: “6 leading companies in healthcare price transparency,” Sarah Hand, Xtalks.
June 19: Our vaccine partnership won the Digital Innovation national award for “Best Audience Listening Strategy” from the Local Media Association.
June 7: “Media Movers: Jeanne Pinder of ClearHealthCosts.com,” Dawn Wotapka, Talking Biz News.
May 30: “Medical billing transparency legislation signed by Gov. Abbott,” Arezow Doost, KXAN.
May 16: “KXAN wins three regional Edward Murrow awards,” Andrew Schnitker, KXAN.
2022
July 1, 2022: “Tips and advice on medical debt,” Here and Now, WBUR public radio.
July 5, 2022: “Tips and advice on medical debt for the 100 million Americans struggling to pay,” WBUR public radio.
Our partnership with KXAN-TV in Austin, Texas:
Cancer, and then a lawsuit: Medical Debt in Texas The leadoff piece, Sept. 12, 2022
Get help: Tips and resources on medical debt
An inside look at the KXAN-ClearHealthCosts investigation
The Catalyst podcast on the Medical Debt investigation
“Texas lawmakers plan medical billing fix next session after KXAN investigation,” KXAN News, Oct. 9, 2022.
“Health care series continues with resources for helping Americans cut out-of-pocket costs,” Marshall Terry and Jeanne Pinder, WFAE, Feb. 7, 2022.
2021
Oct. 1, 2021: ““In New York City, psychotherapist rates run higher (between $200 and $300). Multiply these rates by one session per week, and the costs can add up faster than patients are able to pay,” according to Clear Health Costs,” ” The Ticker, Baruch.
July 27, 2021: “There’s a whole lot of conflicting information out there, even in the healthcare community,” about booster shots for Covid. Epicenter-NYC.
July 23, 2021: “Georgia hospitals post prices online, but good luck finding the information,” Yamil Berard, Eric Fan and Ariel Hart, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
March 2, 2021: “A guide to getting vaccinated in the Hudson Valley and the Catskills,” Lissa Harris and Jeanne Pinder, The River.
May 11, 2021: “Why COVID-19 tests could still cost you $400 in San Diego County,” Jill Castellano, INewsource.
2019-2020-2021
Recent coverage with our CBS partners
Dec. 1: “Covid tests are supposed to be covered, but patients receive huge bills,” Anna Werner.
July 24: “Burn victim’s $1.7 million medical bill is waived,” Anna Werner.
June 29: “Some long-haulers suffering from coronavirus symptoms now face financial challenges,” Anna Werner.
June 27: “Woman hit with nearly $2,000 unexpected bill for colon cancer screening,” Anna Werner.
April 7: “U.S. citizen billed $1.7 million by government for life-saving burn treatment: ‘Completely hopeless,’” Anna Werner.
April 6: “Some hospitals temporarily cutting staff as coronavirus crisis worsens: ‘We were kind of puzzled,’” Anna Werner.
Feb. 5, 2021: “Health care workers detail struggles of PPE scarcity during pandemic: “People were getting sick more and more,” Anna Werner.
Dec. 30: “Patients get unexpected bills after ‘free’ cancer screening,” Anna Werner.
Nov. 23: “New report says pandemic reduced number of mammograms, also extra charges for women on mammograms,” Anna Werner,
Nov. 23: Instagram Live on CBS This Morning IG on surprise bills for mammograms, Anna Werner and Jeanne Pinder.
Aug. 13: “Wisconsin software company delays return to the office plan till the end of the year,” Anna Werner.
Aug. 10: “Wisconsin software company pauses plan to have 9,000 workers return to the office after pushback,” Anna Werner.
Aug. 4: “Employees raise safety concerns with return to work plans,” Anna Werner.
July 28: “Hospice care company accused of pressuring employees to make in-person sales calls amid pandemic,” Anna Werner.
July 10: “COVID-19 tests are supposed to be free, but these people got bills for thousands of dollars,” Anna Werner.
June 30: “We won! Our CBS partnership is the top network public service journalism project in the nation!” Jeanne Pinder.
May 28: “Government guidance raises doubts about tests, even as their use becomes more widespread,” Anna Werner.
May 7: “80% of COVID-19 critical drugs in short supply,” Anna Werner.
April 23: “Americans struggle with losing health care,” Anna Werner.
March 31: “’Walking Dead’ actor Daniel Newman’s coronavirus test wasn’t processed, but he got billed $9,000,” Anna Werner.
March 23: “How scammers are trying to exploit the coronavirus pandemic,” Anna Werner.
March 18: “New coronavirus data projections paint grim picture for U.S. hospitals, potentially ‘relegating some patients to death,’” Anna Werner.
March 6: CBS This Morning, “Coronavirus fears lead to price gouging on hand sanitizer and face masks: “They’re taking advantage of people,” Anna Werner.
March 5: CBS This Morning, “Strangers come together to pay Alabama woman’s medical bills,” Anna Werner.
Feb. 20, 2020: CBS This Morning, “Alabama couple struggling after hospital sues over medical debt: ‘I wish you’d have let me die.’”
Dec. 4: CBS Evening News, “Breast cancer survivors hit with unexpected costs for diagnostic mammograms.” After the segment ran, we received hundreds of emails and shares from women with similar problems, and charges ranging into the thousands of dollars. Many of them said they’d stopped getting mammograms because the cost was so high.
Dec. 4: CBS This Morning, “‘I was being penalized for having breast cancer’: Survivor fights with insurance over follow-up tests.” After the segment ran, we received hundreds of emails and shares from women with similar problems, and charges ranging into the thousands of dollars. Many of them said they’d stopped getting mammograms because the cost was so high.
Oct. 31: CBS Evening News, “The hidden cost of mammograms.” After the segment ran, we received hundreds of emails and shares from women with similar problems, and charges ranging into the thousands of dollars. Many of them said they’d stopped getting mammograms because the cost was so high.
Oct. 31: CBS This Morning, “Women shocked by cost of mammograms: ‘I wasn’t expecting a bill at all.’” After the segment ran, we received hundreds of emails and shares from women with similar problems, and charges ranging into the thousands of dollars. Many of them said they’d stopped getting mammograms because the cost was so high.
Oct. 11: CBS Evening News, “Man drives five hours for surgery insurance won’t cover.”
Oct. 10: “After CBS News reports on man’s surprise medical bill, New York regulators want to change law.”
Oct. 1: CBS Evening News, “Even with insurance, woman hit with $40,000 in medical bills”
Sept. 26: Anna Werner, CBS This Morning, Frank gets relief from bills, and also Aaron Carroll discusses costs with Gayle King, Anna and others.
Sept 25: Anna Werner, CBS This Morning, “Man hit with $650,000 in medical bills gets relief after CBS news story”
Sept. 25: CBS This Morning, “Medical bills jump from $220 to $4,000 a month – for a treatment her life depends on.”
Sept. 25: Anna Werner and Jeanne Pinder, Facebook Live: What to do about healthcare pricing concerns”
Sept 24: CBS This Morning, “After her miscarriage, she received two rounds of ultrasounds. Why did one cost ten times more?”
Sept 23: CBS This Morning, “Back surgery saved him from paralysis. Then the bills arrived: over $650,000.”
Sept 23: CBS News, “Ways to save on health care costs”
Sept. 23: CBS News, “How to read a medical bill or explanation of benefits”
Sept. 23: Jeanne Pinder and Anna Werner, Our first Facebook Live
Sept. 23: CBS News, “10 steps for appealing a medical claim or bill”
Sept. 20: CBS This Morning, The first teaser
Sept. 20: Yahoo.com, “Medical Price Roulette: CBS News investigates the lack of transparency in America’s health care system.”
Recent coverage with our WNYC/Gothamist partners, 2019-2020
Nov. 1: “What The Affordable Care Act Has—And Hasn’t—Done For New York,” Caroline Lewis.
Oct. 10: “Mount Sinai’s Post-COVID Care Center For ‘Long-Haulers’ Slammed By Patient Demand,” Caroline Lewis.
Aug. 15: “New Yorkers’ premiums will tick up in 2021, but barely, after state steps in,” Caroline Lewis.
Aug. 2: “Many Psychiatric Units Went Offline During The Pandemic. Healthcare Workers Wonder If They’ll Ever Return,” Caroline Lewis.
July 6: “PriceCheckNYC: Insurance and Covid-19,” The Brian Lehrer Show, WNYC, with Caroline Lewis and Jeanne Pinder.
July 4: “Relief could come for struggling New Yorkers trying to keep health insurance,” Caroline Lewis.
July 2: “PriceCheck NYC: Back to the doctor’s office?” The Brian Lehrer Show, WNYC, with Caroline Lewis and Jeanne Pinder.
June 28: “Struggling medical offices see some light at end of tunnel as NYC reopens,” Caroline Lewis.
June 19: “How have you been dealing with health issues during the pandemic?” Caroline Lewis.
June 12: “Will the COVID-19 pandemic lead to higher insurance rates?” Caroline Lewis.
June 11: “Health insurers are blocking self-administered birth control injections during pandemic, doctors say,” Caroline Lewis.
May 17: “Your guide to antibody test locations, costs, and accuracy in NYC,” Caroline Lewis.
May 15: “Eyeing Medicaid cuts, Cuomo puts his stamp on a $3 trillion stimulus bill,” Caroline Lewis.
May 8: “Experts worry health inequalities, highlighted by Coronavirus, will continue to grow,” Caroline Lewis.
April 30: “Cuomo issued an executive order waiving telemedicine copays -— so why are patients still getting charged?” Caroline Lewis.
April 26: “Antibody tests can’t guarantee immunity -— but New Yorkers want them anyway,” Caroline Lewis.
April 8: “Health Centers Serving Low-Income Communities Decimated By COVID-19 Say Cuomo Is Starving Them Of Vital Funding,” Caroline Lewis.
March 31: “Cuomo Won’t Back Down On Medicaid Cuts—Even If It Means Spurning Billions In Coronavirus Aid,” Caroline Lewis
March 21: “Getting tested for coronavirus when you’re not a celebrity,” Caroline Lewis.
March 3: “Cuomo orders health insurers to waive Coronavirus testing fees,” Caroline Lewis.
Feb. 24: “PriceCheck NYC: Free screenings come with surprises,” The Brian Lehrer Show, WNYC, with Caroline Lewis and Jeanne Pinder.
Feb. 18: “Why Some Breast Cancer Screenings Come With Unexpected Costs,” Caroline Lewis.
Feb. 7: “The $24,000 Fox Bite: Woman Gets Huge Bill For Rabies Treatment,” Caroline Lewis.
Jan. 31: “New Bill Would Prevent NY Patients From Getting Stuck With Hidden ‘Facility Fees,’” Caroline Lewis.
Jan. 22: “#PriceCheckNYC: Avoiding Care Because of the Money,” The Brian Lehrer Show, WNYC, with Caroline Lewis and Jeanne Pinder.
Jan. 15: “Patient Who Questioned ‘Blank Check’ Financial Liability Form Turned Away Right Before Medical Procedure,” Caroline Lewis and Jeanne Pinder.
Jan. 10, 2020: “Side Hustles And Credit Card Debt: How NYers Pay For Mental Health Care,” Caroline Lewis.
Dec. 16, 2019: “Why New York Is At The Center Of The Debate Over How To Fight Surprise Medical Bills,” Caroline Lewis
Dec. 11: Our Brian Lehrer update, in the Greene Space at WNYC. Other guests: Andrea Bernstein, senior editor for politics and policy for WNYC News and co-host of the podcast Trump, Inc., and Ilya Marritz, WNYC reporter and co-host of the Trump, Inc. podcast at WNYC, talk about the latest in their investigations and the impeachment hearings; Tony Kushner, award-winning playwright, wrote his play “A Bright Room Called Day” when Ronald Reagan was president and he saw links between the 1980s and Weimar Germany. He has updated the play for a new era and is joined by Nikki M. James, the Tony Award-winning actress now starring in A Bright Room Called Day, to talk about the Public Theater’s new production.
Dec. 11: “10 Steps To Finding Out What That Medical Procedure Actually Costs,” Caroline Lewis and Jeanne Pinder.
Nov. 27: “Medical Estimates Are Meaningless As Providers Can Charge Thousands More Than You Expect,” Caroline Lewis.
Nov. 14: “Help Make Health Costs More Transparent And Share Your Stories,” Caroline Lewis.
Nov. 14: Our Brian Lehrer launch!
Other 2020 coverage
Oct. 29: “Family challenges bill — how to protect yourself from surprise billing,” Rebekah Sanders, The Arizona Republic.
Sept. 11: “It is still difficult if not impossible for consumers to compare costs, according to the journalism project Clear Health Costs,” Farah Stockman, The New York Times.
June 30: “We won! Our CBS partnership is the top network public service journalism project in the nation!” Jeanne Pinder.
June 26: “The cost of a COVID-19 test is all over the map — here’s what to know before you go,” Erin Cargile, KXAN-TV, Austin.
July 27: “How ‘free’ coronavirus testing has become the new surprise medical bill,” Dona Rosato, Consumer Reports.
May 21: “Disrupting healthcare with technology and counter cultural curiosity,” Jeanne Pinder on the Impossible Networks podcast with Mark Fallows.
Feb. 22: Our founder, Jeanne Pinder, appeared at Misinfocon at the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. See her lightning talk starting at 2:47.22.
“Journalism done right,” MMM Online
Jan. 6: “Transparency in health care,” Jeanne Pinder on the Gotham Gal podcast with angel investor Joanne Wilson.
April 23: Health, wealth and COVID-19: Our founder, Jeanne Pinder, and the noted economist and trendweaver Jane Sarasohn-Kahn in conversation, guided by Lygeia Ricciardi of Carium.
Other 2019 coverage
Our founder honored as a “notable woman in NYC Tech,” Crain’s New York Business.
“They want it to be secret: How a common blood test can cost $11 or almost $1,000,” The New York Times.
“Hospitals Must Now Post Prices. But It May Take a Brain Surgeon to Decipher Them,” The New York Times.
“10 Minute Explainer: How to Get the Best Price on Your Prescription Drugs,” Brian Lehrer Show, WNYC public radio.
Our cameo on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.
“The battle to control health costs,” Crain’s New York.
“Hospitals’ confusing online price lists give patients a headache,” CBS Evening News.
“Are patients being misled as hospitals post medical costs as required by federal rule?” CBS This Morning.
“The price you pay,” Stephanie Gosk, NBC Nightly News, Jan. 1 (our segment starts around 13:25 minutes in).
“Dad travels to Canada for son’s medicine that would cost $53K in U.S.,” CBS This Morning.
“Transparency in health care.” Our founder, Jeanne Pinder, is featured on Joanne Wilson’s “Gotham Gal” podcast.
“Jeanne Pinder — gladiator journalist.” Our founder is featured on Mighty Casey Quinlan’s “Healthcare is Hilarious” podcast.
“Independent labs may be less expensive, but are they the best option for you?” The Plain Dealer, Cleveland.com.
“How I paid cash for health care instead of using my insurance plan — and saved money,” Marketwatch.
“The Do’s and Don’ts of Community Engagement,” The Open Notebook.
“First Time Signing Up for Health Insurance? 4 Things to Consider,” Rewire.
“Surprise medical bills are landing millions of patients into debt,” WFTS ABC Action News.
“Survey finds lack of transparency in health care costs,” Consumer Affairs
“Cracking the code: two blood tests, hundreds of dollars difference,” Fox 8 Live
“Jeanne Pinder on Opaque Healthcare Services,” Harlow on Healthcare
“Thinking About Health: Providers Don’t Want to Say What that Surgery Will Cost You,” Rapid City Journal
“Employers are the ‘sleeping giants’ in battle to control health costs,” Crain’s New York Business
“Need hospital care or tests? Some ways to get cost estimates,” The Associated Press.
“10 ways to get birth control on a budget,” College Magazine.
“Website lets you compare prices for surgeries, procedures,” KPRC Click 2 Houston.
“Women Entrepreneurs Take Center Stage at Montclair State.”
“UPMC, website CEO agree: Hospital price list lacks value,” New Castle News.
“ClearHealthCosts founder Jeanne Pinder seeks to unmask healthcare’s high costs with online PriceCheck tool,” Conversations on Health Care, CHCRadio.
“See high and low charges for hundreds of procedures,” Physician on Fire.
“New law requires hospitals to list prices for procedures. Critics say it’s no help,” The Orlando Sentinel.
“Trump unveils health care transparency plan forcing hospitals, insurers to disclose secret deals,” Fox Business.
“Experts: Hospitals posting prices doesn’t help patients, adds to confusion,” The Toledo Blade.
“New hospital pricing law not as helpful as hoped,” The Mankato Free Press.
“Chargemasters full of ‘medical gobbledygook,’” Traverse City Record-Eagle.
“Healthcare costs: Push for pricing transparency leaves patients bewildered,” The Moultrie Observer
“Transparency in health costs,” KNX Los Angeles Talk Radio. We come on around 25:01-29:35.
“Online prices are more chaotic than helpful,” HealthImaging.
“Comparing prices: Hospitals must now list prices,” KPRC Click2Houston.
“Local health care economist and others react to a new rule for hospitals,” WVUE Fox 8 Live, New Orleans.
“How to avoid unexpected health bills,” Women’s Health Magazine.
2018
“New rule forces hospitals to post prices for common procedures,” WOIO-TV, Cleveland.
“Central VA hospitals post price lists before new rule begins,” WWNBC12 News, Richmond, Va.
“Reporters expose fraud and high costs in health care,” InvestigateTV, a partnership of Raycom Media and Investigative Reporters and Editors.
“Price for Prevention,” Steve Tellier, WHDH 7 News Boston.
“Asking these questions could save you thousands on medical care.” Misty Stiver and Tiffani Tucker, WOIO Cleveland 19 News.
Entering business school history: We were featured in a case study in a business school curriculum devised by the Berkeley-Haas Case series. We can’t link because it’s a proprietary series, but the screenshots are here.
Aug. 2: “6 Ways to Fix Mistakes on Your Medical Bills,” Consumer Reports.
Aug. 1: “Under 1% of patients use this trick to save on medical bills-—I did, and I saved $400,” Ester Bloom, CNBC.
June 25: “How to avoid hospital and medical price gouging,” ABC Action News, Tampa Bay.
June 13: “Website Examines Medical Prices,” Jeanne Pinder, Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons.
June 11: “Stories of health care sticker shock are everywhere. Will they change anything?” Kellie Schmitt, Center for Health Journalism, USC Annenberg.
“‘Cracking the Code’ wins the national Public Service Award from the Society of Professional Journalists-Sigma Delta Chi,” WVUE Fox 8 Live, April 23.
“‘Cracking the Code’ wins 3 regional Edward R. Murrow awards,” WVUE Fox 8 Live, April 25.
“How paying your doctor in cash could save you money,” Consumer Reports, May 4.
Featured speaker, Lown Institute conference, “Breaking the cycle of high cost and low value: America’s next health system,” April 9-10, Washington, D.C.
“Cracking the Code” and “Medical Waste” are a finalist in the prestigious Peabody Awards. More coverage here and here.
“Cracking the Code” wins awards in Investigative/Public Service and Public Affairs categories at the Louisiana-Mississippi Associated Press Broadcasters and Media Editors awards ceremony.
“Making health costs more transparent,” Data Driven Journalism.
“Health costs vary widely: A Raycomm investigation.” NBC12 and multiple other locations.
“Why it’s so hard to shop for health care.” Montana public radio.
“Everyday heroes who bring healthcare to those in need,” including our C.E.O., Jeanne Pinder, O, the Oprah magazine.
“Uncompromising journalism,” Denton Ketels, The Grinnell Magazine.
2017
recent Coverage with our New orleans partners
June 19: “Cracking the Code wins a national Edward R. Murrow award.” “‘Winning an RTDNA National Edward R. Murrow Award means that a news organization has provided exemplary public service to its viewers, listeners and readers. These honorees truly represent the very best in broadcast and digital journalism around the world,’ said Dan Shelley, RTDNA Executive Director.”
April 25: “‘Cracking the Code’ wins 3 regional Edward R. Murrow awards.”
April 10: “Cracking the Code” and “Medical Waste” are a finalist in the prestigious Peabody Awards. More coverage here and here. “’These stories reflect important social issues and exemplify the power of diverse voices and platforms in media today,’ said Jeffrey P. Jones, executive director of Peabody.”
April 7: “Cracking the Code” wins awards in Investigative/Public Service and Public Affairs categories at the Louisiana-Mississippi Associated Press Broadcasters and Media Editors awards ceremony.
Dec. 3: “Cracking the Code” wins an Emmy.
Sept. 21: “’The Internet hates secrets’: Clear Health Costs works with newsrooms to bring healthcare costs out of hiding,” Laura Hazard Owen, NiemanLab.
Sept. 14: “Health care costs: A problem hiding in plain sight,” Health News Review podcast.
Aug. 29: “How ClearHealthCosts helped New Orleans newsrooms save money for readers,” Bianca Fortis, Mediashift.
Aug. 27: Interview with our partner Lee Zurik on Harry Shearer’s “Le Show,” multiple outlets.
Aug. 24: We went on Reddit to do an “AMA” or “Ask Me Anything.” Read it here.
July 26: Lee Zurik, WVUE Fox 8 Live, “Dramatic price disparities found when comparing insurers.”
July 26: Jed Lipinski, NOLA.com I The Times-Picayune: “MRI for $1005 or $464: Hit to your wallet depends on your insurer.”
July 25: Facebook Live at NOLA.com.
June 27: Lee Zurik, WVUE Fox 8 Live hour-long special, “Cracking the Code: A Special Report.”
May 28: Tim Williamson, NOLA.com: “Last summer, I made a pledge to you that we would build a progressive, dynamic and forward-thinking media company that would serve the New Orleans community for generations to come,” writes Tim Williamson, president at NOLA Media Group, featuring the recent achievements of his staff, including our “Cracking the Code” partnership, as well as their partnership with The New York Times.
May 25: Jed Lipinski: “She saved $3,786 by shopping her MRI; here’s how you can save, too.”
Lee Zurik: “Tulane Health chief slams ‘Cracking the Code.’”
How “Cracking the Code” works: Our work, spotlighted in the Advance Notice newsletter for Advance Digital publications (Q-and-A excerpted from in-house newsletter, reposted with permission).
May 22: Lee Zurik, “Routine blood work leads to shocking bills for many consumers.”
Jed Lipinski, “‘Can’t bring myself to give them that money’: Finding out your $284 blood test costs $34 nearby.”
May 20: Jeanne Pinder,ClearHealthCosts, “She saved $3,786 on an MRI: How people use our data.”
May 14: Jeanne Pinder, ClearHealthCosts: “Cracking the Code: Voices from our New Orleans partnership.”
May 17: Lee Zurik, “One consumer’s lesson, from shoulder pain to facility fee.”
Jed Lipinski, “Surprise ‘facility fees’ in many New Orleans area hospital bills often exceed doctor’s fees.”
May 15: Jed Lipinski, “This man went to an in-network ER in New Orleans. Why did he get a $1,360 doctor’s bill?”
Jeanne Pinder, NOLA.com I The Times-Picayune, “You’re at an in-network hospital, but is the ER doctor in-network?”
Lee Zurik, “Third-party medical bills a shocker? Welcome to ‘balance billing.’”
May 12: Jed Lipinski: “‘Routine’ colonoscopies cost some New Orleans patients thousands of dollars.”
May 10: Jed Lipinski: “Her doctor’s visit co-pay jumped from $40 to $114. The hospital could not explain why.”
Lee Zurik: “With colonoscopies, the worst pain comes with the bill.”
May 9: “Crowdsourcing may bring transparency to medical charges.” Trudy Lieberman, The Journal-Advocate in Sterling, Colo.; The Shelbyville Daily Union; The Kearney Hub and others.
May 8: Lee Zurik: “10 Questions to ask in advance about prices.”
Jeanne Pinder on NOLA.com: “10 questions to ask about prices.”
May 5: Here’s Lee Zurik of WVUE Fox 8 Live in a new installment of our Cracking the Code partnership in New Orleans. The topic: What happens when people don’t know prices in advance, and wind up with burdensome — or ruinous — bills.
Jed Lipinski, NOLA.com I The Times-Picayune: “If patients don’t ask, hospitals won’t tell what things cost — and the price can be steep.”
May 4: Lee Zurik. “There’s nothing clear about health costs at some local hospitals.”
The same piece on TelemundoAmarillo.com. (Link no longer works)
May 4: Jed Lipinski and Manuel Torres, Facebook Live, “How does an army vet get charged $8,000 for an MRI?”
May 3: Lee Zurik: “‘Absolutely ridiculous’ medical bills show critical need for transparency.”.
May 3: Jed Lipinski, “Why was Army vet charged $4,033 for $450 MRI? It’s ‘complicated,’ hospital says.”
Jed Lipinski, “For some Louisiana health insurers, explanations of benefits are anything but.”
April 26: Jeanne Pinder on Pat Salber’s podcast at The Doctor Weighs In.
April 21: Jeanne Pinder, ClearHealthCosts: “An off-the-charts launch.”
April 19: Lee Zurik. “Cracking the Code gets big response, but we still need you.”
April 12: Lee Zurik: “Transparency is key: How you can help.”
April 9: ePatient Dave deBronkart: “Cracking the Code.”
April 6: Jeanne Pinder, ClearHealthCosts, “Welcome to New Orleans: PriceCheck expands.”
April 5: Here’s Lee’s leadoff piece from the 10 o’clock news, and here’s his Facebook Live, certainly the best Facebook Live I have ever seen.
Here’s Jed’s leadoff piece: “A blood test: $522 or $19?”
Jed’s how-to: Find and share prices with our PriceCheck tool.
Our “Cracking the Code” collaboration is named one of the year’s “notable collaborations” by Stefanie Murray at the Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University. Others: The Guardian, ProPublica, the Paradise Papers, the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting.
“Cracking the Code” wins an Emmy.
“’The Internet hates secrets’: Clear Health Costs works with newsrooms to bring healthcare costs out of hiding,” Laura Hazard Owen, NiemanLab.
Other 2017 coverage
“Health care costs: A problem hiding in plain sight,” Health News Review podcast.
“Shop around: Another way to help patients,” Jeanne Pinder, Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (paywall; pdf document here: JPinderAACAAPJournalSept2017v2)
Interview with our partner Lee Zurik on Harry Shearer’s “Le Show,” multiple outlets.
How Roe v. Wade affected abortion rates, TheLily.com (by The Washington Post).
In the U.S. system, “all stakeholders are eager to increase their own profit,” Pinder said. Zeit Online.
“Paying too much for health care? You may be able to reduce your expenses,” The Washington Post.
“If John McCain were uninsured, his surgery could have cost $76,000,” Julia Belluz, Vox.
“Why this patient refuses to pay a $323 hospital bill,” Beckers Hospital Review/Hospital CFO Report.
“Meet the TechLady who founded ClearHealthCosts,” TechLadies, Medium.
“Patients should know prices beforehand,” Letter to the editor, Coloradoan.
“First, ask your doctor for the specific medical code, called a CPT code, for the procedure or test that you need, says Jeanne Pinder, CEO of ClearHealthCosts, which aims to make medical prices more transparent,” Emily Bazar, ” How to Ease the Financial Pain of High-deductible Health Plans,” Kaiser Health News.
“Readers become reporters, and great journalism happens,” Mark Lorando, NOLA.com.
2016
“How to find and support trustworthy journalism,” Josh Stearns, Democracy Fund, on Medium.
““There’s no easy way to know prices, or to make smart decisions with your money and your health. We’re working to change that.” GotAGirlCrush.com, interview with Jeanne Pinder.
PriceCheck: The Cost of Care in the Sunshine Economy, Tom Hudson, WLRN.com.
“PriceCheck, a reporting project aimed at bringing clarity to the cost of health care in Florida,” How Much Does Health Care Really Cost? WUSF.com Public Media.
“Costs of Having a Baby Vary Greatly,” Daylina Miller, Health News Florida
“If you want your audience to talk with you, you have to give them a good reason,” Ariana Tobin, M.J. Bear fellows blog, Online News Association.
“PriceCheck Florida: What’s It All About?” Health News Florida.
“Department of Health Challenges Provider to Improve Billing,” Health News Florida.
“Forum Explores Rising Prescription Drug Costs,” Julio Ochoa, WUSF.com.
“5 Places Consumers Are Looking for Health Care Prices,” Becker’s Hospital Review.
“People should know what things cost in health care,” said Jeanne Pinder. Price Check Resource to Help Floridians, WLRN.org.
2015
Jeanne Pinder is named a Tow Center for Digital Journalism fellow at Columbia University to co-author a guide to crowdsourcing with Jan Schaffer and Mimi Onuoha.
The Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University publishes a “Guide to crowdsourcing” co-authored by Jeanne Pinder, Jan Schaffer and Mimi Onuoha, November 2015.
PriceCheck wins the Society of Professional Journalists Northern California Journalism Innovation Award for KQED Public Radio journalists Lisa Aliferis and Lisa Pickoff-White.
“There’s a really deep need for this information,” [Pinder] says. Anne Field, “Technology Whiz Kids Over 50,” AARP Bulletin.
“In California, ClearHealthCosts has partnered with NPR radio stations in Los Angeles and San Francisco to create PriceCheck sites…” Emily Bazar, “How to price shop for medical treatment,” Fresno Bee (and others).
“Now healthcare companies are publishing the prices of various procedures and tests. Online tools…like ClearHealthCosts.com, are searchable by zip code.” Leslie Goldman, “How (and When) to Get a Better Deal on Medical Care,” Oprah.com.
“Efforts to inject greater price transparency into healthcare continue to gain momentum.” David Schleifer, AJMC.
“Shopping around makes sense. Check out Clearhealthcosts.com.” Mandi Woodruff, “Money Minute: Can I really negotiate my doctor’s bills?,” Yahoo Finance.
“Knowledge is power. Consumers are learning that they have options when it comes to health care.” Lola Butcher, “Six Things Consumers Will Know About You,” Hospitals and Health Networks.
“Clearhealthcosts.com has built a searchable database of thirty tests, procedures, and treatments and the
prices charged by specific providers,” Susan Gilbert, “How Much for That Stress Test?” The Hastings Center Report.
“‘I don’t understand how we made a marketplace where everything defaults to secrecy,’ said Pinder.” TheStreet.com.
“According to [the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation], its support is also intended to ‘help underwrite partnerships with other regional and national media efforts, such as NJ Spotlight and ClearHealthCosts.com.’” Paul M.J. Suchecki, “How RWJF Is Using Radio to Advance a ‘Culture of Health,’” Inside Philanthropy magazine.
“‘There is something for everybody here. Even if we don’t happen to be in your metro area, we will give you some useful information,’ Pinder says.” Lisa Zamosky, “Shopping tools help patients find cash prices for medical procedures,” The Los Angeles Times.
“‘We are journalists,’ Pinder said. ‘Our view is that if we make price transparent, then people will be able to make rational choices as they can in any other realm.’” Robert I. Field, “How much will my health care really cost? Now, you can find out,” The Philadelphia Inquirer.
“’How did we get to this place where you ask what something costs and no one can tell you and we accept that as normal?’ asks Jeanne Pinder.” Dan Gorenstein, “A push for transparency in healthcare pricing,” NPR Marketplace.
“It started when Jeanne Pinder spent a year dickering with her provider over a $1,419 hospital bill for an anti-nausea drug she found online for $2.49,” Judith Messina, “13 Lessons from Entrepreneurs,” Crain’s New York Business.
“What many hospitals won’t tell you, Pinder says, is that a growing number of routine hospital procedures, including MRIs, mammograms, knee replacement surgery and hysterectomies, are ‘shop-able,’ giving consumers a chance to look for the best deal.” Daniel Goldstein, “10 Things Hospitals Won’t Tell You,” Marketwatch.
“This new day of insurance with high deductibles, high copays and coinsurance might be nudging patients to look at price more carefully or at least ask about it.” Trudy Lieberman, “Thinking About Health,” Rural Health News Service.
“We’d like to see all the prices public,” [Pinder] said. “The idea we have consumer-directed health care is a big fat joke if you don’t have a road map for costs.” Laura Ungar and Jayne O’Donnell, “Health care costs vary wildly, report shows,” The Courier-Journal and USA Today.
2014
“Sites such as Clear Health Costs and Castlight Health prove what we long knew anecdotally: charges in the US vary vertiginously among different institutions,” Andy Oram, “Consumers Are Still Held Back From Making Rational Health Decisions,” EHR and EMR.
“It’s an endless, frustrating system … But help is appearing in the form of an online crowdsourcing database for public reference.” Brad Broker, “Maybe the crowd can finally tell us the cost of a mammogram,” Physicians News.
We shared the gold medal at the Patient Shark Tank at the New York eHealth Collaborative conference, Stephanie Baum, MedCity News
“…the PriceCheck project of KQED, KPCC, and the excellent ClearHealthCosts.com effort run by Jeanne Pinder,” Gary Schwitzer, Health News Review.
“Price transparency picks up speed,” Emily Newhook, Healthcare Finance News.
ClearHealthCosts is featured along with 13 other “exciting, effective and innovative” health cost transparency organizations, “Illuminating Health Care Prices: Organizations to Watch,” on the executive masters of health administration site at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at The George Washington University.
ClearHealthCosts recommended as one of four health-cost comparison tools for consumers by Nerdwallet Health’s Christina LaMontagne, NextAvenue, Forbes
PriceCheck cited in a Stanford Health-Anthem Blue Cross contract dispute. Lisa Aliferis, “Stanford Terminates Anthem’s Contract,” KQED public radio.
“Downward price pressures mount for MRI,” Highlights in Radiology.
“Thanks to your organization and what I learned on NPR, I will shop around next year and maybe just pay cash.” “Project crowdsourcing health costs finds partners in pubmedia,” Current.org.
What does price transparency mean, and why are we doing this? #PriceCheck on Forum at KQED Public radio. Forum, KQED
“Consumers are in flames” about health care costs, said Jeanne Pinder at a Politico Pro health care breakfast briefing. “Waste, errors in health care remain huge issues,” Politico Pro (Full video is here.)
“Your source for health-care prices,” YourStory, Joel Gurin, 20 companies to watch in the world of data-driven healthcare.
“Clearhealthcosts.com, provides easy to glean information on the costs that self-pay patients will need to fork over to receive common healthcare services,” Peter Ubel, “If Costs Are Unknown, Can Doctors Still Talk About Them?” Forbes.com
“Since the cost of a simple procedure like a pelvic ultrasound can vary from less than $100 to more than $600, do a price comparison at clearhealthcosts.com and insist on a fair amount,” Frank Lalli, “5 Ways to Net Medical Savings,” Parade magazine.
“17 projects receive funding through the Knight Foundation Prototype Fund.” The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation blog.
“Sites like clearhealthcosts.com let you compare prices for various medical procedures in your area.” Tim O’Reilly, “When health care institutions are charging outrageous prices, we need to stand up and say, ‘That’s insane.’”
“Jeanne Pinder calls herself a warrior for health care transparency,” A battle against ‘secretive’ U.S. health care marketplace, BizWomen/The Business Journals.
TedMed Great Challenges video: Our CEO, Jeanne Pinder, and others discuss cost and quality.
2013
“ClearHealthCosts warns that some experts suggest that 60% of hospital bills have an error in them, while others suggest that percentage to be much, much higher.” “California man posts hospital bill showing he was overcharged $45,000 for an appendectomy,” New York Daily News.
“Here is some important advice from ClearHealthCosts,” “This $55,000 Bill Is The Perfect Example Of Our Broken Hospital System,” Business Insider.
“Timely, accessible, affordable health care is a human right. We have failed to deliver that in this country, and it’s time to fix that.” – Jeanne Pinder, named one of 14 Disruptive Women to Watch in Healthcare.
“‘This marketplace is broken,’ Pinder said. “Leading the fight against the $500 Tylenol,” WHYY news.
“A New York consumer, for instance, might save a bundle … A cardio stress test costs $100 at one location in the Bronx, and $2,504 at another in Elmhurst, Queens.” “ClearHealthCosts Helps Customers …“, Fast Company.
Jeanne Pinder in TedMed Great Challenges: Technology and Health Cost Transparency, TedMed, (53-min. video).
“Websites like Health Care Bluebook, Fair Health and ClearHealthCosts use insurance databases and patient crowdsourcing to find the going rates in local areas.” “Good Deals on Pills? It’s Anyone’s Guess,” The New York Times.
“For the best results, learn what doctors near you are charging for your procedure or service and ask your physician to match the lowest price. Start at ClearHealthCosts.com.” “RX for Savings: 8 Ways to Cut Health Costs,” Parade magazine.
“This startup uses crowdsourcing along with old-fashioned research to compile actual data on how much certain healthcare procedures cost, and when available, how much insurers are paying.” “7 Sites to help you save big on your medical bills,” FoxBusiness.com.
“The Brian Lehrer Show and ClearHealthCosts are partnering to gather information — and increase transparency — about the cost of some common items and procedures.” Our collaboration with the Brian Lehrer show on WNYC radio, “Mapping the Cost of Birth-Control Pills and Mammograms,” May 3, 2013 and the results, May 22, 2013. (Longer results, our blog here and here.)
“But a new website — clearhealthcosts.com — is doing the work by collecting reported and crowdsourced self-pay prices on everything from dental fillings to vasectomies.” “Some NYers skimp, go abroad to save on health costs,” AM New York.
“Some price information is already available … through websites such as Healthcarebluebook.com and Clearhealthcosts.com, which allow users to compare local rates….” “U.S. makes data available on wide disparity in hospital charges,” Reuters.
“Why do birth-control costs vary so widely?” “Map Your Birth-Control Costs,” Jezebel.com.
“Some change in transparency is happening anyway, thanks to innovative websites such as Fairhealth.org and Clearhealthcosts.com, which have begun to uncover comparative prices.” Editorial Board, USAToday, “Health care pricing transparency for all: Our view.”
Jeanne Pinder on TedMed “Great Challenges” segment, “Addressing Healthcare Costs and Payment Systems.”
Jeanne Pinder on Huffington Post Live, segment “Groupon Healthcare.”
“In fact, one widely touted approach to controlling costs is to encourage patients to comparison shop. Several website now offer price data for some services. (See ClearHealthCosts and Healthcare Blue Book.)” “You Probably Have No Idea What Your Health Care Costs,” The Philadelphia Inquirer.
“A ten-fold difference in price for any given test or procedure isn’t unusual, even within a single geographic area,” said Jeanne Pinder, ClearHealthCosts founder.” Reuters, “Costs of hip replacement hard to find, vary widely.”
“Comparison shopping in health care is still in its earliest days, but sites like … Clear Health Costs … are trying to give consumers more clarity into health care pricing.” — “In Health Care, Price Transparency Alone is Not Enough,” GigaOm.
ClearHealthCosts “presents … sticker prices of various medical procedures, from blood tests to mammograms, and leaves the rest up to the consumer.” “Consumers May Draw Wrong Conclusions From Medical Prices,” Kaiser Health News.
2012
“If you’re paying out of pocket, that’s a whopping $1,445 savings to you. …If you’re paying most or all of your health costs out of pocket, ClearHealthCosts is a solid resource.” “ClearHealthCosts Sorts Out Bewildering Health Prices,” KQED Public Radio.
“Internet entrepreneurs have moved to fill the need for comparative price information. … in what could be the start of a significant trend. Among them are Clear Health Costs …” “Health Care’s Top 10 for 2012, The Philadelphia Inquirer.
“The ClearHealthCosts blog published a two-part piece on the variable costs of MRI tests. … This is helpful, albeit maddeningly frustrating. … What an important project ClearHealthCosts is.” Gary Schwitzer, “How much does an MRI cost?” Health News Review.
“The budget wise can now comparison shop, something that used to be near-impossible to do with healthcare,” “How to alleviate health-care costs,” PCMag.
“Medicine’s Kayak.com? ClearHealthCosts checks healthcare costs for medical procedures,” MedCity News.
“The ClearHealthCosts concept of ‘democratizing’ health information … offers an exciting glimpse of a less ‘opaque’ future of health care.” “Getting to the Bottom of Your Bills: Jeanne Pinder of ClearHealthCosts,” The Daily Muse.
“New Crowdsourcing Platform Can Save You Money on Medical Bills,” IdeaConnection.
ClearHealthCosts is “a noble and important undertaking.” “New York Revs Its Startup Engine,” Forbes.com.
“ClearHealthCosts Wants to Save you from Medical Sticker Shock,” The New York Observer.
Our New York Tech Meetup demo, in MLB video, Sept. 11, 2012. We start about min. 13:40-18:00, then Q/A 23:00-30:00. Wahoo!
“Our Favorite Startups From Women’s Demo Night, Hosted by New York Tech Meetup and Change the Ratio,” EBetaBeat, The New York Observer.
TV interview on BrianLehrer.TV, Brian Lehrer, June 26, 2012 (we come on about 35 minutes in, for about 10 minutes).
Leaving the Newsroom to Launch Online Startups, American Journalism Review.
“$56,000 Awarded to Four Women-Led News Projects,” McCormick Foundation New Media Women Entrepreneurs award announcement, via J-Lab at American University.
2011
Our favorite things: The Rachel Maddow Blog: Mapping the Cost of Birth Control, Aug. 2, 2011, Rachel Maddow show.
“ClearHealthCosts.com: Guiding consumers through the health-care marketplace,” CJR’s Guide to Online News Startups, Columbia Journalism Review.
Meet IWMF’s Global Digital News Frontier Grant Winners, announcement of Global Digital News Frontier Grant from the International Women’s Media Foundation via the Ford Foundation, March 2011.
2010
Judges Hand Out $40,000 in Seed Money to Launch Journalistic Ventures, CUNY Graduate School of Journalism blog, Dec. 14, 2010.
