Employers across the country are asking a critical question: How much are we really paying for hospital services—and how does it compare to Medicare?
The answer may surprise you.
Round 6 of the RAND Hospital Price Transparency Study is now underway—and participation is open.
This nationally recognized study benchmarks what employers pay for hospital services relative to Medicare. Past results show that employers often pay 2 to 5 times Medicare rates for the same services.
For employers, this is not just information—it’s leverage.
Participation provides:
• Clear, objective benchmarks of your hospital prices vs. Medicare
• Actionable insights to strengthen negotiations with health systems
• Data to support benefit strategies, including tiering and steering
• A collective opportunity to push for more rational and transparent hospital pricing
Getting involved is straightforward:
• Simply contact Brian Briscombe (bbriscom@rand.org) to get started
• Most employers can participate with a simple opt-in email to their TPA or data warehouse
• Many major TPAs (Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Anthem, etc.) already have agreements in place with RAND
• If not, RAND will help facilitate the required data use agreement
Key timeline:
• Now: Employer recruitment underway
• November 20, 2026: Deadline to submit claims data (2023–2025)
• September 2027: National report released
Participation in the national study is free, and all results are publicly available.
Employers also have the option to purchase a confidential, employer-specific report (priced based on covered lives) that compares what you paid to what others paid the same hospitals for the same services—an invaluable tool for future strategy.