Cash-only patients name their price on doctor fee search Web site

After a successful pilot program in the Seattle area, a Web site that matches cash-paying patients to healthcare providers is slated to launch nationwide on November 2.

PriceDoc  is similar to Web pages that help travelers find the best deals, but is the first to connect the cash-paying patients to providers.

“PriceDoc is a win-win solution for physicians and patients,” says Glenn Safadago, CMO of PriceDoc, in a company press release. “PriceDoc helps patients who have avoided care because of the cost, find a qualified provider that’s right for them at an affordable price. Providers save money by eliminating payment delays from insurance companies and improves their cash flow by introducing new, cash-paying patients.”

Of particular interest to providers is a “Name Your Price” feature on the PriceDoc Web site. If the patient is not able to find a price within their budget, he or she can post the price that they can afford. PriceDoc then searches for a provider that will accept their offered price and notifies the consumer instantly.

The pilot program was launched in Seattle and the greater Puget Sound area in January 2008.

“It’s only natural that we launch PriceDoc in Seattle,” says Safadago. “Seattle is the leading city in the United States for e-commerce, software and Internet technology with companies such as Amazon and Microsoft. Historically, Seattle has been the testing ground for many innovative Web-based and medical technology companies. It is the perfect place to launch a product that helps make healthcare affordable to as many Americans as possible.”