~2.5× Medicare
Private plans paid about 254% of Medicare for the same hospital care in 2022.
RAND Hospital Price Transparency
For US employers · about 20–500 people
Care does not cost the same on every plan
The same surgery or scan can cost far more depending on the city, the hospital, and which network pays — Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, cash pay, or reference-based pricing. Pick a program below — details stay sticky so you never lose the list.
Free tool to model savings and odds for your state and size — or book time with a Benefitra advisor to walk through expectations.
Why prices diverge
$486–$1,821
Same MRI, same hospital — private rates spanned nearly 4× at one medical center.
Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker
~$1,476 vs $240
Typical employer dialysis session vs Medicare — about 6× for the same treatment.
JAMA Network Open (2022)
2× site gap
Same infusion drug: about $8,930 at a hospital outpatient vs $4,132 in a doctor’s office.
Magellan Rx (via MMIT)
Programs that fit mid-market employers
Select a program. Sort by savings impact or by value (savings relative to care disruption). You’ll see what it does, a plain savings range, examples, and caveats — with vendor vs research labels.
Program
What it is
Examples
Watch out
Want a stack that fits your people — not a brochure?
Benefitra helps mid-market employers compare dialysis carveouts, specialty drug site-of-care, direct primary care, preferred hospitals, cash pay with PPO backstop, and network help against your claims and stop-loss — then recommend what to try first.
Model your stack in the funding simulator, or connect with an advisor to pressure-test numbers and expectations for your group.