Pilot program allows patients to shop for doctors

Health insurer Aetna has launched a pilot program that will allow patients to access the in-network rates for common services provided by physicians, reported Medical Economics (10/7/05). This information-which will cover the cost of office visits, diagnostic tests, and minor procedures-is expected to help patients determine their out-of-pocket expenses before they visit a particular doctor. The pilot program includes the cost of about 600 procedures and involves 5,000 individual physicians and physicians groups in southeast Indiana, northern Kentucky, and parts of Ohio (Cincinnati, Dayton, and Springfield).