In a California Healthline Special Report, Matthew Mazdyasni — chief financial officer of HealthCare Partners Medical Group — and Donald Crane — president of the California Association of Physicians Groups — discussed the impact of the physician group’s decision to post prices for some services on its Web site.
Traffic to the site has increased 69% since the Torrance-based practice began posting the prices three months ago, but Crane questions whether the move will lead to a “huge sea change” in the health care marketplace because major illnesses — the kind for which consumers infrequently compare health care costs — account for such a large percentage of overall health care spending (Rebillot, California Healthline, 9/4).