(MUSIC) FEW THINGS IN LIFE ARE MORE SATISFYING THAN
SHOPPING AROUND AND GETTING A GREAT DEAL.
WE COMPARE PRICES FOR CARS AND CLOTHES AND JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING.
SO, WHY NOT FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES?
THAT'S WHAT PATTY EVERETT ASKED HERSELF AFTER HER HUSBAND SUFFERED A CATASTROPHIC INJURY
WHILE THEY WERE BETWEEN HEALTHCARE PLANS AND THE RESULT OF THAT LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE
IS A BRAND NEW WAY TO DO HEALTHCARE.
PATTY EVERETT, CEO OF HEALTH PONDS.
I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY.
I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE HERE TO SHARE YOUR STORY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
YOU KNOW, AND WE HAVE SO MUCH TO GET TO.
REALLY I HAVE TO START WITH WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR HUSBAND.
WELL, HE FELL TWO STORIES AND HE BROKE HIS NECK.
AND WHEN I TOOK HIM TO THE HOSPITAL BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE AN INSURANCE POLICY ENFORCES,
THEY TOLD ME I NEEDED TO TAKE HIM HOME BECAUSE IT WASN'T LIFE THREATENING.
HE COULD BREATHE.
HOWEVER, IF ONE OF THE CHILDREN JUMPED UP AND HUGGED HIM, HE COULD BE A QUADRIPLEGIC.
SO, I HAD TO GO TO THE BANK AND DRAIN $50,000 OUT TO GET HIM IN THE HOSPITAL AND GET THE
SURGERY DONE.
SO, WE EXHAUSTED ALL OF OUR SAVINGS AND MY INHERITANCE AND ALL THE MONEY HE HAD FROM
HIS BUSINESS TO GET HIM TAKEN CARE OF.
WOW.
THAT'S AND HOW MUCH IN TOTAL DID YOU SPEND?
WE SPEND A LITTLE OVER HALF A MILLION IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS.
THAT IS JUST DEVASTATING.
IT IS DEVASTATING.
AND YOU CAME TO SOME IMPORTANT REALIZATIONS ABOUT THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM AND THE WAY IT'S
WORKING.
TELL ME ABOUT THAT.
I DID.
I LEARNED THAT THERE WAS NO WHERE TO GET A CASH PRICE.
IF YOU ARE PAYING CASH WHY CAN'T YOU HAVE THE SAME PRICE AS AN INSURANCE COMPANY.
THERE WAS NO OPTION TO COMPARE PRICES BETWEEN DIFFERENT SURGEONS OR HOSPITALS AND SO WE
WERE STUCK AND THAT GOT ME TO THINKING WHY CAN'T WE GET A DISCOUNT.
WHY CAN'T WE SHOP IF WE ARE PAYING CASH.
WHY SHOULDN'T WE HAVE THE BEST PRICE?
SO, AM I RIGHT IN ASSUMING THAT OUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS AREN'T MANDATED TO POST THE PRICE
OF THEIR SERVICES.
THAT'S ABSOLUTELY CORRECT, JULIE.
UNTIL THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT CHANGED THAT.
NOW, THEY ARE REQUIRED TO POST THE PRICES AND SOMEWHERE REASONABLY FOR PEOPLE TO BE
ABLE TO SEE THEM.
BUT THERE IS NO FORMAT FOR IT.
THERE'S NO INSTRUCTIONS OR NO GUIDELINES GIVEN WITH THAT.
SO, WHAT WE DID IS WE LOOKED AT THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT AND SAID HOW CAN WE BRING PRICING
TRANSPARENCY TO THE MARKET AND HOW CAN WE GET DOCTOR'S TO HELP US GET A PRICE THAT'S
LOWER?
SO, THAT'S WHERE HEALTH PONDS COMES IN.
TELL US EXACTLY WHAT HEALTH PONDS IS.
HEALTH PONDS IS THE VERY FIRST PORTAL FOR HEALTH CARE SHOPPING.
YOU GET TO CHOOSE BY CITY, STATE, ZIP.
BY DOCTOR, BY SPECIALTY, OR BY SYMPTOM IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GO.
IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE A CONSUMER OF HEALTH CARE, GET REAL TIME PRICING, YOU SEE THE PRICES
THAT ARE AVAILABLE TODAY.
SO, IF YOU NEED SOMETHING DONE, YOU NEED AN MRI.
YOU NEED TO SEE A PRIMARY CARE DOCTOR.
AN ORTHOPEDIC, A NEUROSURGEON.
YOU CAN SEE THE PRICES FOR THEIR SERVICES.
IT SOUNDS LIKE A TRUE BREAK THOUGH FOR CONSUMERS.
SO, IF YOU WANT TO START SAVING ON YOUR HEALTH CARE STICK WITH US BECAUSE PATTY IS GOING
TO TELL US EXACTLY HOW HEALTH PONDS WORKS RIGHT AFTER THE BREAK.
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WELCOME BACK TO THE BALANCING ACT.
BEFORE THE BREAK MY GUEST PATTY EVERETT WAS SHARING HER PERSONAL STORY ABOUT THE STAGGERING
COST OF HEALTH CARE AND ABOUT A POSSIBLE SOLUTION CALLED HEALTH PONDS.
ALRIGHT PATTY, WHAT EXACTLY IS HEALTH PONDS, YOU TOLD US, BUT HOW DOES IT WORK.
THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO KNOW.
HEALTH PONDS WORKS BY GOING TO OUR WEBSITE AND FINDING THE DOCTOR AT THE RIGHT PRICE.
YOU SIMPLY INPUT WHATEVER YOU NEED TO KNOW, WHETHER IT'S BY SYMPTOM, SPECIALITY, CITY,
STATE, OR ZIP.
NOW, SOME PEOPLE THING THAT IT'S ONLY FOR PEOPLE WITHOUT INSURANCE.
BUT IT'S NOT SO.
IT'S FOR PEOPLE WITH INSURANCE AS WELL.
DEDUCTIBLES ARE GETTING HIGHER NOW AND WE KNOW THAT STATISTICALLY $2500 ONLY 11% OF
PEOPLE WITH THAT WILL EVERY REACH IT.
AND THEN IF IT GETS HIGHER LIKE THE NEW PLANS, $5,000 DEDUCTIBLES.
ONLY 4%.
SO, THAT MEANS THAT 96% OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE SELF INSURED.
SO, IF YOU HAD A CHOICE AND YOU COULD PAY $1200 OR $600 FOR A SERVICE.
I'M GOING WITH $600.
OK.
WELL, COME TO HEALTH PONDS.
PERFECT.
I HONESTLY THINK THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE STILL CONFUSED ABOUT TERMS LIKE CO PAY AND
CO INSURANCE.
COULD YOU REFRESH PEOPLE'S MEMORIES ABOUT WHAT THOSE TERMS REALLY MEAN?
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER IS YOUR COPAYMENT IS THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT YOU
GIVE THE DOCTOR WHEN YOU CHECK IN.
SOMETIMES THEY ASK YOU FOR THE 25, 35, 55 DOLLAR COPAY.
THE DEDUCTIBLE IS THE AMOUNT YOU HAVE TO PAY BEFORE YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY STARTS PAYING.
THIS IS WHERE EVERYONE GETS CONFUSED.
CO INSURANCE.
IT IS DIFFERENT THAN CO DEDUCTIBLE.
YOUR COINSURANCE IS THAT AMOUNT THAT YOU PAY AFTER THE BILL HAS BEEN SUBMITTED AND THEY
DETERMINE HOW MUCH IS OWED.
YOUR POLICY WILL DICTATE HOW MUCH YOU PAY OF THAT BILL. 20%? 30% 40%
AND YOU PAY THAT AFTER YOU'VE PAID ALL OF YOUR DEDUCTIBLE.
SO, I FOUND IT REALLY INTERESTING THAT THERE ARE MILLIONS OF INSURED PEOPLE WHO BASICALLY
PAYING FOR EVERYTHING OUT OF POCKET.
I WANT YOU TO GIVE US AN EXAMPLE OF HOW HEALTH PONDS PRICES CAN HELP THOSE PEOPLE AND OTHERS.
WELL, FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU NEED AN MRI.
VERY OFTEN YOU WILL GET AN MRI FOR AROUND $7,000.
I HAD ONE IN JANUARY AND IT WAS $7,226.
THEN I GOT BILL, MY CO INSURANCE FOR $1,200.
NOW, IF I HAD GONE TO HEALTH PONDS I WOULD HAVE PAID $695.
WHAT OTHER OPTIONS CAN CONSUMERS CHOOSE ON HEALTH PONDS BESIDES PRICE.
THEY CAN CHOOSE TO FIND A DOCTOR BY SPECIALTY.
THEY CAN LOOK AT HIS EDUCATION AND MOST IMPORTANT THE QUALITY OF HIS CARE.
WE EVALUATE DOCTORS BASED ON WHAT HIS DOCTOR'S SAY, NOT SOME RANDOM OPINION ON THE INTERNET.
WHAT HIS PATIENT'S SAY ABOUT HIM.
WE LOOK AT HIS EDUCATION.
DOES HE HAVE A MEDICAL DEGREE FROM HARVARD?
OR IS IT FROM A FOREIGN COUNTRY?
WHAT HOSPITALS ARE THEY ASSOCIATED WITH?
SO YOU CAN LEARN MUCH ABOUT YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE YOU GO SEE HIM.
WHAT ABOUT EMERGENCY CARE?
EMERGENCY CARE IS NOT INCLUDED IN HEALTH PONDS BUT WE DO HAVE URGENT CARE FACILITIES SO THEY
CAN FIND THOSE FOR THE THINGS THAT ARE NON LIFE THREATENING.
NOW, WHAT WE DO HAVE ARE HOSPITALS THAT ARE STARTING TO GET ON BOARD WITH US AND LIST
THEIR PRICING.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT WE DECIDED TO BRING SOMETHING TO THE CONSUMERS THAT WE KNOW THEY NEED.
THOSE HIGH DEDUCTIBLES, EVEN IF YOU DO GET A GOOD PRICE, SOMETIMES YOU CAN'T AFFORD IT.
SO, WE HAVE A PATIENT FINANCING PROGRAM AVAILABLE TO ALL OUR HOSPITALS ON OUR NETWORK AND ALL
THE PROVIDERS ASSOCIATED WITH THEM.
AND IT'S 0% FINANCING, NO INTEREST UP TO 72 MONTHS.
THAT CAN HELP A LOT OF PEOPLE.
REALLY.
AND THERE IS ANOTHER CONVENIENT FEATURE ON HEALTH PONDS THAT WILL MAKE A PATIENT DIGITAL
MEDICAL RECORDS AVAILABLE.
TELL US ABOUT THAT.
ABSOLUTELY.
YOU CAN GO TO HEALTH PONDS.
YOU CAN STORE YOUR MEDICAL RECORDS THERE AND YOUR MEDICAL HISTORY AND WHEN YOU'RE TRAVELING.
IF YOU'RE SKIING IN COLORADO, ROCK CLIMBING IN ARIZONA, OR JET SKIING AROUND THE WORLD,
YOU CAN GO ONLINE AND SEE ALL OF YOUR MEDICAL INFORMATION AND SHARE IT WITH ANY PROVIDER
YOU CHOOSE.
WHERE CAN PEOPLE FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HEALTH PONDS?
COME TO OUR WEBSITE.
HEALTHPONDS.NET SO, IT'S ONE STOP HEALTH CARE.
SOUNDS LIKE AN IDEA WHOSE TIME HAS COME.
SUCH GREAT INFORMATION.
I WANT TO REALLY THANK YOU FOR BEING IN THE STUDIO WITH US.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR STORY AND YOUR HUSBAND'S STORY.
I APPRECIATE IT.
THANK YOU.
ALRIGHT.
I'M SURE YOU CAN'T WAIT TO START SAVING ON YOUR HEALTH CARE SO HEAD OVER TO THEBALANCINGACT.COM
TO GET STARTED AND DON'T FORGET TO FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER AS WELL.
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