FAIR Health Cost Transparency Websites for Consumers Widely Used in 2018
English- and Spanish-Speakers Vary in How They Use FAIR Health Consumer and FAIR Health Consumidor, Usage Statistics Show
In 2018, consumers across the country made widespread use of fairhealthconsumer.org, a free, award-winning, healthcare cost transparency website, according to FAIR Health (@FAIRHealth) analytics. The year-end statistics provide insight into users’ demographics and habits and how healthcare cost transparency can be successful.
A Spanish version of FAIR Health Consumer, fairhealthconsumidor.org, newly revised and launched in September, was also widely visited but used somewhat differently, according to statistics from September 12 to November 8, 2018. Infographics on statistics are available here for FAIR Health Consumer and here for FAIR Health Consumidor.
FAIR Health President Robin Gelburd stated: “We are pleased that consumers across the country are finding their way to the healthcare cost estimate tools and educational materials available on FAIR Health Consumer and FAIR Health Consumidor. Helping consumers navigate the complexities of the healthcare system is an integral part of FAIR Health’s mission.”
Broad Reach
FAIR Health Consumer, which includes medical and dental cost lookup tools and rich educational material on health insurance, reached hundreds of thousands of users and received millions of page views in 2018. The top 10 states from which users originated included all four US Census Regions: Northeast (New York, New Jersey), South (Texas, Florida, Georgia, Virginia), Midwest (Illinois, Ohio) and West (California, Oregon).
All types of insurance status were represented among visitors to FAIR Health Consumer, including out of network (29.5 percent), in network (26.1 percent) and uninsured (13.8 percent).
Gender
The gender distribution differed between users of FAIR Health Consumer and FAIR Health Consumidor. Women (52 percent) were more common than men (48 percent) among FAIR Health Consumer users, though the split was fairly even. But men (62 percent) predominated over women (37 percent) among FAIR Health Consumidor users.
Age
All adult age groups were represented among FAIR Health Consumer users. The biggest share was that of individuals aged 25 to 34 years:
- 18-24: 9.3 percent;
- 25-34: 28.4 percent;
- 35-44: 26.2 percent;
- 45-54: 15.1 percent;
- 55-64: 12.7 percent; and
- 65+: 8.3 percent.
FAIR Health Consumidor users similarly represented a broad spectrum of adult age groups, but the biggest age group was that of individuals aged 35 to 44 years.
Search Terms
The top searched medical term on FAIR Health Consumer was “MRI,” but the top searched term on FAIR Health Consumidor was “psychotherapy.” “CT scan” and “colonoscopy” were the second and third top terms, respectively, on the English-language site, compared to “colonoscopy” and “MRI,” respectively, on the Spanish-language site.
The top three dental terms searched on FAIR Health Consumer, from highest to lowest, were “root canal,” “crown” and “implant.” The top three dental terms searched on FAIR Health Consumidor, from highest to lowest, were “bone surgery,” “grafts” and “soft tissue (gum).”
Access to the Sites
FAIR Health Consumer users accessed the site much more often via tablet or desktop (70 percent) than mobile (30 percent), but the reverse was true for FAIR Health Consumidor users (25 percent tablet or desktop versus 75 percent mobile).
Most users accessed FAIR Health Consumer and FAIR Health Consumidor via direct search, but a larger percentage of Spanish-speakers came via social media (18 percent from Facebook) compared to English-speakers (6 percent from all social media).
For infographics on statistics, click here for FAIR Health Consumer or here for FAIR Health Consumidor.
About FAIR Health
FAIR Health is a national, independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing transparency to healthcare costs and health insurance information through data products, consumer resources and health systems research support. FAIR Health possesses the nation’s largest collection of private healthcare claims data, which includes over 27 billion claim records contributed by payors and administrators who insure or process claims for private insurance plans covering more than 150 million individuals. FAIR Health licenses its privately billed data and data products—including benchmark modules, data visualizations, custom analytics, episodes of care analytics and market indices—to commercial insurers and self-insurers, employers, providers, hospitals and healthcare systems, government agencies, researchers and others. Certified by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as a national Qualified Entity, FAIR Health also receives data representing the experience of all individuals enrolled in traditional Medicare Parts A, B and D; FAIR Health houses data on Medicare Advantage enrollees in its private claims data repository. FAIR Health can produce insightful analytic reports and data products based on combined Medicare and commercial claims data for government, providers, payors and other authorized users. FAIR Health has earned HITRUST CSF and Service Organization Controls (SOC 2) certifications by meeting the rigorous data security requirements of these standards. As a testament to the reliability and objectivity of FAIR Health data, the data have been incorporated in statutes and regulations around the country and designated as the official, neutral data source for a variety of state health programs, including workers’ compensation and personal injury protection (PIP) programs. FAIR Health data serve as an official reference point in support of certain state balance billing laws that protect consumers against bills for surprise out-of-network and emergency services. FAIR Health also uses its database to power a free consumer website available in English and Spanish and an English/Spanish mobile app, which enable consumers to estimate and plan for their healthcare expenditures and offer a rich educational platform on health insurance. The website has been honored by the White House Summit on Smart Disclosure, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), URAC, the eHealthcare Leadership Awards, appPicker, Employee Benefit News and Kiplinger’s Personal Finance. FAIR Health also is named a top resource for patients in Elisabeth Rosenthal’s book, An American Sickness: How Healthcare Became Big Business and How You Can Take It Back.
