DELAWARE - The Delaware Department of Health and Social Services has announced that they have added by prescription drugs and imaging procedures to they CostAware website.
The department says that the website offers price comparison for both brand and generic prescription drugs by drug category and payer type- whether its commercial insurance, Medicaid, or Medicare Advantage. Imaging cost comparisons include head CT, lumbar spine MRI, and screening mammography by provider organization.
Here is where the Department says the numbers come from:
- Prescription Drug Costs compares the average daily cost of brand and generic drugs in Delaware by category and payer type based on 2021 pharmacy claims data. Prescription drugs are identified by National Drug Code (NDC) and grouped into categories assigned based on the condition the drug is intended to treat.
- Imaging by Provider Organization shows the average cost of imaging procedures by payer type, claim year and provider organization. Estimates reflect both the facility cost (taking the image) and professional cost (reading and interpreting the image).
“Delawareans can now compare costs for prescription drugs by drug category and imaging procedures by provider organization to help them make better decisions around their health care,” DHSS Secretary Josette Manning said. “CostAware has served as a valuable tool for Delawareans since its launch in April 2022. These additional data enhancements will bring another layer of transparency around the health care dollars being spent by Delawareans and their insurers.”
Aside from the new additions, the department says the CostAware site also includes:
- Average cost estimates for episodes of care including C-section births, emergency department visits, knee and hip replacement, and vaginal delivery reported for Delaware hospitals.
- Estimates of the average cost per visit for medical services including child wellness visits, mental and behavioral health services, diabetes care, cardiac procedures, adult doctor visits, and lab tests (blood and urine tests).
- Results reported by care setting including hospital outpatient facility, outpatient lab, professional office, urgent care facility, and telehealth.
- Multiple years of data: Results are reported for 2019, 2020 and 2021.
- Filtering of results by insurance category (Commercial insurance, Medicaid, Medicare Advantage) and patient age range and gender (as appropriate).
Officials say CostAware was developed by the Department of Health and Social Serivices and Delaware Health Care Commission (DHCC) in collaboration with Delaware Health Information Network (DHIN).
