Growing interest in health care quality and cost information

An interesting survey of nearly 2,000 adults show that younger Americans are more likely to seek and use health care quality and cost information than older Americans. Over half of the surveyed who are between 25 and 34 years old looked for quality ratings, while only 23% of those surveyed who were between 55 and 64 years old did the same. The younger respondents were also more likely to ask about cost.

Fortunately, more information is becoming available. Medicare announced that they will begin releasing some information about individual providers. Likewise, South Carolina will begin posting hospital pricing information online. Hopefully, more and more information will become available so that consumers can make better decisions about their medical care.