On the importance of transparency… may I present exhibit A: https://www.medpagetoday.com/publichealthpolicy/ethics/83459
Pay particular attention to the content of the last paragraph!!!
“The Affordable Care Act mandates that health insurers cover all federally recommended vaccines…at no charge to patients,…
Kaiser Health News looked at what its own insurance carrier, Cigna, paid for those free flu shots. At the high end, it shelled out $85 for a flu shot given at a Sacramento, California, doctor’s office that was affiliated with Sutter Health, one of the largest hospital chains in the state. Further south, in Long Beach, Cigna paid $48 for a shot.
Prices in the Washington, D.C., area went even lower, to $40 per shot at a CVS in Rockville, Maryland, and to $32 per shot at a CVS in downtown Washington that’s less than 10 miles away from the Rockville location.
One expert told KHN that the variation has nothing to do with the cost of the drug, but stems from secret negotiations between health plans and providers. While patients are expected not to care since the shot is free to them, these costs come back to bite in the form of higher premiums — which is one of the major complaints about the ACA.”
Forum for Healthcare Freedom 