But, in the same week, several good things happened.  I spent significant time with some new transparency tools that are getting traction, and I think we can actually move the needle on health care with this approach. Let me explain:

For almost two decades, technology has offered each of us new access to transparency in our lives, from online Consumer Reports and Angie's List to Yelp.  First, search engines came to desktop computers and we used them to make sense of the overwhelming amounts of web data for personal decisions. Google changed how we chose retail outlets and personal services. Then, mobile devices brought us apps, and the first "real time" transparency tools started raising our expectations of how fresh, relevant data can change buying behaviors. 

Transparency is coming to medicine. 

Mobile technology made "real time" transparency a reality in our lives.  Everywhere except medical care, that is, until now.

As a benefits advisor and broker, I get a front-row view of the inconsistencies in our health care delivery system, and I see the high potential impact of transparency. Slightly more than half of all U.S. workers are covered by health benefits provided by employers, and of these workers, 60 percent are enrolled in plans that are either partially or fully self-insured. In addition, 42 percent of all employers now offer a high deductible health plan (HDHP), which shifts greater responsibility for managing costs and enhancing the value of health care to employees. Therefore, giving employees useful and relevant data to help them make informed decisions has a huge possible impact on the health care spend. 

Imagine that you are walking down the street and get hurt – say, you sprain your ankle. It hurts, and you want it checked out. You pull out your smartphone, call up your transparency app, and type in what ails you – in this case, sprained ankle. 

The technology then displays a map of your area, with all medical facilities that handle sprained ankles.  It then reaches into your medical plan and retrieves your plan details, your deductibles and copays and your remaining balances. It also retrieves the negotiated rates from each provider, and does the math.  Over each pin in the map it then displays the calculated cost for each provider if you were to walk in right now and get your ankle looked at. To help guide the decision, some of the systems then add an indicator of quality of service.

Wow. This will help reduce the frustration of shopping for medical care in a complex world. This will also work well as an adjunct to Reference-Based Pricing, helping to add competitive pressures to the pricing of health care services.

The motivation for this recent focus on transparency comes from the Affordable Care Act itself.  As the ACA is implemented, the marketplaces (or exchanges) come online and offer a new channel for the purchase of health insurance. Central to these marketplaces are regulations aimed at promoting cost and quality transparency.

A 2012 Deloitte survey found that "around half the consumers would like access to tools or websites that enable them to estimate the cost of care, evaluate quality and satisfaction with specific providers and hospitals, and benefit from user reviews."

I have seen several of these tools installed, and early results look promising. That experience has produced several key takeaways:

• A good outcome requires good communication. You need to explain that you are giving users the information they need to make good choices. When you feel you are over communicating, you have it about right. 
• Use data and metrics to adjust the process:  Measure responses to the transparency tools through satisfaction surveys that include both quantitative questions and options for open-ended responses.
• Find alternative communication channels to spread the word, and think "outside the box".  Include team members with broad-based skills—such as social marketing and user research specialists—that may not be typical in the health insurance industry.

What can cause problems? It still comes down to communication, and understanding the audience's communication patterns. Technology alone won't save the day. The trash heap is littered with high quality technology that was misunderstood. Beta really was better than VHS. 

Why bother? Because it matters. For every other purchase that they make, consumers can easily get information about price and quality. When consumers have this information they can make better decisions. Consumers should share in the savings, in the form of lower premiums and more effective care, when they take an active role in health care decisions. Customers are able to compare both quality and cost. Value-driven consumer choice, in turn, drives greater competition and increasingly better service. That will make all the difference.