Reference pricing may have limited use but is not a blanket solution for laboratory testing

Rising healthcare costs are a continuing concern. Insurers and employers have responded with several different strategies to contain costs. One strategy has been to shift costs to patients through higher deductibles or copayments. While these strategies reduce costs, they can also influence a patient’s decision whether to obtain care at all. Reference pricing is an alternative strategy that is designed to influence where a patient seeks care rather than whether they seek care.