Employers facing rising health care costs get tough on providers

From Axios:

Employers trying to rein in rising health costs are also taking the fight directly to health care providers.

Why it matters: New transparency around the price of health care services and workers' mounting frustration with costs are emboldening some employers to get tough in negotiations with hospitals and provider groups.

• "We can improve quality and can make health care more efficient. But if we continue to see very significant increases in unit price ... it just makes the job of providing health benefits incredibly challenging," said Guy D'Andrea, executive director of Catalyst for Payment Reform.