President Obama, unveil a holiday gift: health care price

A recent Kaiser poll notes that uninsured young adults cite cost as the greatest reason not to purchase insurance. Let’s give young adults enough cost information for them to realize that insurance is a great deal.

In healthcare, prices are often hidden and vary, in part, by the insurance plan patients have. Thus, insurance companies are best positioned to tell patients a range of out-of-pocket prices they might pay for certain care.

If young adults view this range of prices alongside the cost of a plan, they would quickly notice that, with insurance, they can save more than $150 on routine checkups and thousands more on some surgeries. This new price information will directly prove insurance is worth more than the $95 exemption fee.

In health care, it is a gift to know how much we pay. Well, it’s the holidays, Mr. President. We want another health care gift, one that we’ve long desired.