Enhanced Cost Estimate Tool Now Available

You can get cost estimates for repairs to your vehicle or house. Why should health care be any different? Blue Cross VT members can find out in advance how much a health care procedure will cost, using the enhanced cost estimate tool now available in the Member Resource Center.

With our cost estimate tool, you can see how much your out-of-pocket cost will be for many types of health care, such as office visits, diagnostic imaging, and procedures like knee replacement. This can help you plan for upcoming health care.

You can also use the tool to compare prices between different health care providers and facilities. The cost of a procedure like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can vary greatly, depending on where it is done. Larger hospitals can charge $6,000 or more for an MRI, while the cost for the same procedure at independent facility may be less than $2,000. Our cost estimate tool helps you identify which locations cost less, potentially saving you hundreds or even thousands of dollars if you haven’t met your annual deductible.

How to Use It

The cost estimate tool is very easy to use. Once logged into the MRC, navigate to the “My Providers” menu and choose the “Estimate Costs” option. Click on the tile that says “Procedure Costs” to browse for common terms, such as MRIs or colonoscopy. You can also search for a procedure by name.

Once you’ve selected a service or procedure, you’ll see a list of in-network providers and facilities that offer it in your area, along with the total estimated cost for each (see example 1).

Select a provider or facility to see a more detailed breakdown, which shows how much your Blue Cross VT health plan will pay and your estimated share of the cost—through coinsurance, copay, or your plan’s deductible (see example 2).

Please keep in mind that the figures you’ll see are only estimates. The actual costs may vary depending on several factors, including how the provider bills us for the procedure.

Giving You More Power

Our new cost estimate tool greatly enhances your power as a health care consumer to shop around and make informed choices. When planning for health care, we hope you’ll use our cost estimate tool to compare options and save money.

Giving our members immediate access to cost estimates is part of our mission to make health care work better for Vermonters. We have several other online resources available for members to use, including a prescription drug pricing tool that enables you to compare drug prices at different pharmacies, tips for managing out-of-pocket costs, and quality comparison tools. To learn more, log into the Member Resource Center and click on the “Price and Quality Tools” option.