Price Data Solicitation Grant: Public Perspectives on Price Data: Patterns of Use, Perceived Abilities and Broader Attitudes

The researchers examined consumers' opinions, preferences, current habits, barriers, and needs with regard to price data and price data tools. Using data from a national survey, interviews, and focus groups, they addressed three sets of questions: 1) What are people’s attitudes, concerns and opinions on price transparency and price data, including their interests in price data and their perceived abilities to use it? 2) How, from what sources, and under what circumstances are Americans already accessing price data and how do early adopters evaluate the price data tools they use? 3) What are people’s preferences regarding price data? The goal of the project was to generate nationally representative benchmarks of consumer use of and perspectives on price data and price data tools, and to inform policymakers, health care providers, consumer groups, employers and insurers on appropriate strategies to engage consumers with price data.

This project was funded as part of the Foundation’s solicitation “Understanding the Use and Impact of Price Data in Health Care,” which supports empirical research studies that contribute to the knowledge base in this area, with the goal of providing reliable and generalizable evidence to inform policymakers and delivery system participants and to help accelerate progress toward using price information effectively.