The health care system in the United States is notorious for its lack of price transparency. Consumers and Plan Sponsors are often confused by billing practices and reimbursement rates, often bearing no resemblance to the cost of services, that result in inflated facility fees and unreasonable prescription drug costs. The Afekt Co. confronts these practices using reference-based pricing (RBP) with doctors and hospitals—in effect, setting price caps for health care services. RBP is a cost-containment strategy that pays a percentage of established Medicare benchmarks. Prices paid to hospitals by private health plans (Blue Cross Blue Shield, United Healthcare, Cigna & Aetna commonly known as the BUCA’s) consistently average above 240 percent what Medicare would have paid, with wide variation in prices among states, based on a RAND Corporation research think tank. The Afekt Co., creates insurance contracts based on a multiple of Medicare, resulting in savings between 15 – 30 percent of traditional group health insurance contracts. The Afekt Co provides four main services that help companies provide the education and instruction to their employees and members to navigate their healthcare experience more easily. 1. Concierge Services lead members through one-on-one service and support 2. Customized Plans are the main vehicle to a RBP plan 3. Consultative Support is a cornerstone of RBP, relying on our deep knowledge of the benefits and pitfalls of RBP plans 4. Cost Savings. Although our clients are rightfully focused on the bottom line, our consultants ensure members understand the value, usefulness and usability of their plans.