Two newspapers on Sunday examined issues related to health care costs. Summaries appear below.Washington Post: More workers "will need to know what their medical services cost to determine if it's worth switching to a consumer-driven plan," as employers increasingly seek "to encourage people to look for lower-cost medical services," the Post reports. According to a survey by Harris Interactive for employee benefits provider Great-West Healthcare, 68% of respondents did not know the cost of treatment until it was received and 11% said they never learned the cost. Respondents guessed that a routine doctor's office visit costs $95, when it typically costs $200. For emergency department visits, respondents estimated average costs of $680, when the actual costs totaled $400, according to the poll. The Post also lists several Web sites that provide consumer information on health care costs (Singletary, Washington Post, 10/22).

Wall Street Journal: Generic prescription drugs "are getting a bigger role in many people's health care spending" as competition among retailers "drives down generic prices and the selection of those drugs becomes more plentiful," the Journal reports. Edith Rosato, senior vice president of pharmacy affairs with the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, said consumers can save 30% to 80% by switching from brand-name drugs to generic versions. According to IMS Health, certain brand-name drugs that account for about $30 billion in annual sales are expected to lose patent protection this and next year. The uninsured and those covered by the Medicare prescription drug benefit are expected to benefit most from the "wave of new generics," the Journal reports. Health experts have said that the use of generics could help seniors avoid reaching the so-called "doughnut hole" coverage gap of the Medicare drug benefit (Badal, Wall Street Journal, 10/22).

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