- wbur.org/2011/02/10/higher-deductibles
- wbur.org/2011/08/23/price-list
- wbur.org/2011/09/01/total-health
List date(s) this work was published or aired.
“Health Plan Charges Up to $1,000 More for “High-Cost Hospital’s” aired February 10th, 2011. “Price List Could be a Radical Medical Tool” aired August 23, 2011. “Vacuums and Health Aid: Health Care’s Definition Stretched” aired Sept. 1, 2011
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
Massachusetts created the template for expanding health care coverage. Now the state hopes to “crack the code” for controlling health care costs. We look at three attempts to address health care spending as they affect three key players: patients, doctors and insurers. The first story profiles a seemingly simple act…giving physicians at one hospital a list of prices for 56 common tests and procedures. The story sparked a firestone among primary care physicians and specialists about the appropriate use of tests. The second story broke the news that the state’s largest insurer would, for the first time, offer insurance that ties co-pays and deductibles to hospital prices. The difference between high and low cost hospitals would be $1,000 or more. These much cheaper plans have become the fastest growing type of coverage in Massachusetts, but they raise concerns for consumers. My third story looks at the move to global payments in Massachusetts from the patient’s point of view. We hear from a patient whose case managers brought over a new vacuum cleaner, curtains and cleaning products. Another patient got money for her heating bill. Providers and politicians say global payments will change the definition of health care.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
These are not data driven stories. The focus here is on how efforts to combat rising health care costs are prompting changes that push all the players in the health care in Massachusetts into new and often uncomfortable territory. That said, each of these stories are based on extensive on and off line research on health care spending, global payments, hospital pricing, event pricing and public health factors that drive health outcomes.
Explain types of human sources used.
I spend a lot of time working sources to determine when there will be significant steps and stories that we need to report. Each of these stories come out of many background conversations to determine the best way to tell a story, the best characters to use and the scenes in which to set these stories.
Results:
All of these stories triggered many comments, tweets, were shared on Facebook and posts to dozens of websites and blogs.
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
I followed up each of these stories with two or three related pieces and blog posts. The “price list” story in particular generated a flurry of questions about the tests ENTs use and whether they are effective. We ran several posts on our blog, CommonHealth, on this topic. We’ve looked at tiered health plans (as described in “Health Plans Charge More…”) from several different angles since then and will continue as more and more employers sign onto this type of coverage.
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
We are covering the health care costs debate in ways we would not have imagined a few years ago. I’ve started a social network for patients where they can share their experiences as consumers “shopping” for care. We are using cartoons and infographics, games and trying out Xtranormal animation. This is dense and difficult topic for most patients. While putting a human face on the issues still works, it is critical to imagine new online story telling techniques that will help patients understand the challenges in different ways.