West’s Health Advocate Introduces New Mobile Pricing Transparency App

Makes it Easy to Shop for Healthcare and Compare Costs

Health Advocate™, the nation’s leading healthcare advocacy and assistance company and a subsidiary of West Corporation, today announced the release of a new mobile app, the latest update to its comprehensive Health Cost Estimator+ (HCE+) platform. This state-of-the-art pricing transparency system now takes advantage of the widespread use of mobile devices to give members and their families convenient access to cost and quality information for common healthcare procedures.

Health Cost Estimator+ redefines pricing transparency by combining personalized support with innovative technology to empower consumer engagement. The enhanced mobile app provides consumers with convenient access to accurate information to help them make the best purchasing decisions about their health, from both a quality and cost perspective.

“The HCE+ mobile app makes powerful information readily accessible to consumers in a highly convenient format. We added mobile accessibility to help our members easily access important healthcare information whenever and from wherever they need it,” said Michael Cardillo, President, Health Advocate. “This latest update equips users with leading-edge resources and support to make informed choices about their health, while reinforcing our commitment to continuously evolve our solutions to meet consumers’ needs in an ever-changing environment.”

Features of the HCE+ mobile app include:

  •     Pricing estimates for doctors, hospital and other facilities nationwide, searchable by ZIP code
  •     Easy access to personalized support from Personal Health Advocates
  •     Quality information, including physician ratings from Healthgrades and hospital safety scores from the Leapfrog Group
  •     Real-time benefits status and estimated out-of-pocket costs (deductibles, coinsurance) for each employee

About Health Cost Estimator+

Health Advocate has incorporated powerful data analytics into a consumer-friendly application that enables users to easily comparison shop for healthcare procedures in their area. By helping them identify the highest-value providers and understand the full costs of their care, HCE+ can lead users to make more informed, cost-effective decisions about their healthcare.

In order to successfully drive consumers to utilize pricing transparency tools, it is critical that they are able to connect with someone to answer questions and help understand their options. As such, HCE+ includes access to personalized support from Personal Health Advocates, who can help guide users to the most cost-effective decision and provide assistance with any next steps.

Availability

Health Cost Estimator+ is available to Health Advocate clients as part of a package of services or separately as a standalone solution. Members with HCE+ can access the tool online, via a mobile app or by calling a Personal Health Advocate, who can help members navigate the tool as well as provide assistance for a wide range of other important and time-consuming tasks associated with personal, administrative and medical care needs.

About Health Advocate

Health Advocate™, a subsidiary of West Corporation, is the nation’s leading healthcare advocacy and assistance company, serving more than 10,000 clients, including many of the nation’s largest companies.

Health Advocate’s award-winning Health Advocacy program helps members navigate complex healthcare and insurance-related issues, saving them both time and money. We also offer a suite of complementary solutions, including Wellness Coaching, EAP+Work/Life and Chronic Care Solutions, among others. Our fully integrated program EmpoweredHealth seamlessly combines our services into a single, convenient solution, helping members efficiently maximize their benefits.

We also leverage the power of pricing transparency, personalized health communications and more to help members make more informed decisions and get more value out of the healthcare system. All supported by a powerful data analytics engine delivering improved health and financial results.

For more information, visit us at http://www.HealthAdvocate.com