A benefit your employees actually remember to use
If you're self-insured, every dollar your employees don't know how to save is a dollar you pay at renewal.
Most HDHP employees don't know what anything in healthcare costs. Your benefits team knows this. Your broker knows this. Your renewal numbers definitely know this. But the usual tools — generic decision-support apps, carrier portals, estimator widgets — are built around claims data and modeled estimates, not the actual prices hospitals publish.
HospitalCost is different. We use the raw machine-readable files every U.S. hospital is now required to publish under the CMS Hospital Price Transparency Rule. Real prices, your employee's specific insurance plan, every hospital in their area, side by side. No estimates, no modeling, no survey data.
What changes for your employees
They can look up a procedure before scheduling
Instead of waiting for the explanation of benefits after the fact, your employee sees real prices at every hospital in their area. Ranked by cost, annotated with CMS star ratings and patient satisfaction, filterable by their specific insurance plan.
They see when paying cash beats using insurance
In about 4 in 10 cases, a hospital's cash discount is lower than the insurance-negotiated rate. For an employee who hasn't met their deductible, that's a direct out-of-pocket saving. We flag these gaps so your employees catch them.
They find financial assistance they'd otherwise miss
Most non-profit hospitals have charity care policies that cover 100% of the bill under certain income thresholds. Employees who'd qualify rarely know to ask. We surface the specific thresholds per hospital so they can apply.
They walk into the appointment with a scripted question
Every procedure page has the exact questions to ask the billing department before scheduling. Your employee doesn't need to become a healthcare expert — they just need to read the script.
What changes for your plan
Measurable price shopping
For the procedures with the biggest variation (MRI, CT, colonoscopy, physical therapy, lab work), employees who use the tool actively choose lower-cost options. We can show you the before/after on claims data if you share it.
Informed HDHP adoption
Employees who don't understand how deductibles work tend to avoid care or pick the wrong plan. A tool they actually use makes the HDHP feel like a choice, not a trap.
Fewer frustrated calls to HR
"How much is this going to cost?" is one of the most common benefits questions and the one your team is least equipped to answer. Now there's a link to send.
A data point for renewal conversations
You can point at actual employee usage to show plan literacy and informed decision-making, both of which matter when negotiating next year's renewal with your carrier.
How partnerships can work
We can set up lightweight referrals today and deeper integrations as we grow. Current options:
Branded employee portal
A version of HospitalCost under your benefits brand, linked from your intranet or benefits hub. Employees see your company name, use our data.
Usage analytics
Monthly report showing which procedures your employees look up, which hospitals they compare, and estimated savings based on the gap between the options they chose and the most expensive alternative.
Open enrollment integration
A launch campaign timed to your open enrollment period, with benefit communications your HR team can send employees about the new tool. We give you the templates.
TPA / broker alignment
If you work through a TPA or benefits broker, we can coordinate the rollout so everyone in the chain has the same talking points.
Who fits
Self-insured employers with 100 to 10,000 employees in Virginia and North Carolina are the best fit for HospitalCost today. We're expanding to more states throughout 2026. If you're in an unsupported state and want to be first when we expand, email us and we'll prioritize based on employer demand.
Let's talk
Tell us about your plan, your employee base, and where your biggest cost drivers are. We respond the same business day and can schedule a 20-minute call to walk through the tool if it helps.
Email Richard →