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Updates from the Handl world
Data Insights
Negotiated rates vary widely
What we’re seeing:
You know that the rates negotiated between insurers and hospitals can vary widely, but the actual disparity might shock you. That’s why we took the average rates negotiated by Blue Cross Blue Shield, UnitedHealthcare, Cigna and Aetna at major facilities for two different procedures.
For a CPT 45378 (diagnostic colonoscopy), we took negotiated rates from hospitals and ASCs in New York and New Jersey:
Endoscopy Center of Bergen County (NJ)
Endoscopy Center of New York
Kips Bay Endoscopy Center
Manhattan Endoscopy Center
NYU Langone Health
At those facilities, prices for a colonoscopy run between $1,588 and $2,128.
Casting a wider regional net, we also examined pricing for CPT 27447 (total knee arthroplasty) at:
Hackensack University Medical Center
Hospital for Special Surgery (NY)
Morristown Medical Center
Overlook Medical Center (NJ)
Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center
The average cost at these facilities is anywhere from $12,667 to nearly $23,000.
Can you guess the cheapest? The most expensive?
Why it matters:
Appropriately weighing data regarding negotiated insurance rates empowers you to make optimal insurance pricing decisions for your clients. But mere data transparency isn’t enough; you need an expert guide to help you through the information, separating the data that truly makes an impact from all the white noise.
The takeaway:
You hear us talk a lot about site-of-care differentials as a driver of healthcare spend, but the data show that its not as cut and dried as weighing the cost of and ACS vs a hospital. You need to dig deeper than the surface-level data to truly create an actionable plan design that enables you to benefit from the information. This protects not only clients from unnecessary costs but also helps reduce the overall burden of healthcare costs in this country. By creating healthcare plans that promote cheaper fees for the same level of care, you become an advocate for a more sustainable healthcare future.
From the Desk of Shapari
What about the data?
Shapari Samimi, Senior Sales Director, Handl Health
Shapari here!
Handl Health’s 2026 is off to a roaring start, and I’ve been on the road talking to customers about their pain points, gathering intel from industry panels and spreading the word about how Handl can help drive down the cost of health insurance while prioritizing patient care.
During the many conferences and meetings I’ve attended in recent weeks, a theme has emerged: employers and advisors are ready to rethink how healthcare is designed and delivered.
Many of my one-on-one conversations have centered around Alternative Health Plans (AHPs) and the growing focus on creative benefit design and network strategy. These conversation often came back to data. Having the right data—clean, connected and credible—is what makes those strategies possible. But data overload is also a very real concern. I’ve seen time and time again that while employers gather data from dozens of sources, they struggle to translate that information into meaningful insight.
The key takeaway? Bring in experts who can organize and interpret the data—whether for plan design, network performance or care navigation. That’s where real value is created. One employer said something that really stuck with me: “If you want to save, you have to reduce your benefits.” But that approach is short-sighted. Reducing benefits isn’t the only path to savings. Focus instead on designing smarter plans. This is where brokers and consultants have an incredible opportunity to help employers use data strategically to build sustainable, high-performing benefits.
Heading to the SIIA Forum in Florida?
Chief Product Officer Ria Shah will be speaking about prescription MRFs at the SIIA Price Transparency Forum in Jacksonville on February 26.