There are two types of consumers; the informed and the uninformed. The patient, i.e. the consumer, is usually not aware of the total cost of the healthcare services provided to him. They may have a copay or deductible, but the explanation of the benefits and treatment schedule comes after the treatment has been provided. This approach has made it difficult for patients to “shop around” to get the best prices when in most cases they are not sure what the cost of treatment will be. They were, through no fault of their own, uninformed consumers due to the design of the plans. Health maintenance organization (HMO) plan design, for example, “masks the true cost of care” because the consumer only pays the copay (Kongstvedt, 2007, p.474). The copay represents only a portion of the total cost and causes the consumer to not see the value of the health insurance benefit. Consumer-Driven Health Plans (CDHPs) were created, in part, for the consumer to become aware of the true cost of health care, an example being the High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP). The consumer has the ability to see the true cost of care (transparency) by paying the high deductible. Not all CDHPs are high deductible plans, any plan that allows the consumer to see the true cost of care can be labeled as such resulting in the consumer being more informed (Kongstvedt, 2007, p.474). Health care providers state that members who are enrolled in CDHPs experience reduced health care costs (Munn, 2010, p.43). Proponents of CDHP plans say these types of plans provide incentives for healthy behaviors. The theory is that when consumers are more aware of healthcare costs, they have a greater tendency to better manage their healthcare. Opponents of CDHPs argue that consumers lack the knowledge necessary... middle of paper... to administer fines for fines violations. Works CitedCoates, B. E. (2004). Corporate culture, corporate malice and legislated ethics: the Sarbanes-Oxley law. Journal Of Public Affairs, 7(1), 39-58. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Dixon, A. (2007). Personal responsibility for health and healthcare. Consumer Policy Review, 17(6), 256-260. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Kongstvedt, P. R. (2007). Essentials of managed healthcare. (5th ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Munn, J. (2010). Looking beyond health care reform: The future of consumer-centered health care. Benefits Quarterly, 26(1), 43-48. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.Williams, J.R., Bettner, M.S., Haka, S.F., & Carcello, J.V. (2008). Financial and Managerial Accounting: The Basis for Business Decisions (14th Edition). Retrieved from http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072996501/student_view0/.