Data & Pricing Methodology

Wellward helps patients find affordable-priced, high-quality self-pay (cash-pay) healthcare. When a patient requests a search, our team gathers current cash-pay pricing and availability from providers in the patient's area, supplements it with recently-gathered data, benchmarks the prices against fair-price data to ensure pricing is reasonable, and returns a recommendation to the patient plus alternatives.

The pricing and other information we share reflects point-in-time signals gathered through our research. It is not medical advice, a guarantee of a specific price or appointment, or a substitute for guidance from a clinician. Final pricing, scheduling, and clinical decisions are always confirmed directly between the patient and the provider.

Data Sources

• Wellward provider contacts: Cash-pay prices and availability gathered when our team contacts providers during patient searches.
• Provider-submitted pricing: Cash-pay rates that providers share or verify directly to Wellward.
• Patient search activity: Aggregated, de-identified demand signals from patients searching for services through Wellward.
• Public and reference data: Publicly available fair-price benchmarks, procedure and billing code references (e.g., CPT/HCPCS), and quality, reputation, outcomes, and patient experience data published by federal and recognized commercial sources, where available.

How Pricing Is Gathered

For each search, Wellward contacts providers in the patient's area to ask the current cash-pay (self-pay) price for the specific service, including the relevant service details and similar factors that affect price.

A price is recorded only after we receive a usable quote tied to a specific service and provider. Depending on the search, prices may be gathered by our research team, by automated outreach, or through follow-up verification. Quotes are time-stamped so we can measure data freshness and know when a provider has updated their prices.

How Quality Signals Are Evaluated

Where available, Wellward considers quality, reputation, outcomes, patient experience, and convenience signals alongside price — so the lowest number is not automatically the recommendation. Depending on the service, signals may include accreditation and certification, published outcomes or safety metrics, equipment and service characteristics, location and availability, and patient-reported experience. We distinguish verified facts from directional signals and never present an estimate as a confirmed figure. Quality can be very patient-dependent, depending on the patient's particular needs, preferences, and what matters most to them.

How We Benchmark Prices

Wellward examines fair-price benchmarks by service and region, built from the prices we gather over time and public reference data such as certain percentages of Medicare rates. Benchmarks tell us whether a given quote or set of quotes is high, fair, or a good deal — rather than just reporting numbers. Benchmarks are refreshed as we gather new pricing, and they vary by geography because cash-pay prices can differ widely across markets.

How Recommendations Are Made

Wellward does not list every provider side-by-side and rank them by lowest price alone. We respond to a patient's specific request and return a top recommendation plus alternatives, weighing affordability, convenience, and quality signals together. The goal is the best overall option for that patient's needs — not simply the cheapest. Because most patients do not want to sort through a very long list of options, we typically narrow down to the options that are strongest on certain factors or a balance of factors that are typically most important to patients, like closeness, affordability, and earliest appointment.

Freshness and Refresh

Each price we share is time-stamped in our database with the date it was gathered. Cash-pay prices can change, so we prioritize recent quotes and re-verify when a quote may be stale. Benchmark and reference data are updated on a recurring basis as new pricing and public data become available.

Data Quality Controls

• Prices are recorded only when tied to a specific service, provider, and date.
• Service details are normalized before comparison so quotes are matched like-for-like. When context is important around a price (what is included vs. not, what may be additional based on what the provider finds during the appointment, etc.), we include that context alongside the price.
• We do not show low-confidence or unavailable data.
• We never expose individual patient identities or private search records.

Limitations

Cash-pay prices and availability can change at any time. A provider may quote a price during our research and later charge a different (higher or lower) amount because of timing, the specific services performed, additional findings, scheduling, provider policy, or other operational factors. A quote is not a binding offer, and Wellward does not guarantee that any single search reflects every provider in an area. Patients should confirm final pricing and clinical details directly with the provider before receiving care.

Privacy

Wellward is HIPAA compliant. We collect only the information needed to perform a search, we do not sell patient data, and we take zero commissions or referral fees from providers or insurers — our only incentive is finding the patient the best option. Personal data is handled under our Privacy Policy and Consumer Health Data Privacy Policy.

Permitted Use of Data

The pricing benchmarks, summaries, and other data Wellward publishes are provided to help patients, caregivers, and clinicians understand directional cash-pay pricing. Use is subject to our Terms of Service. Scraping, bulk extraction, republication, resale, model training or evaluation, competitive benchmarking, lead generation, or use of the data to build, support, or improve a competing product or service is not permitted without Wellward's prior written permission or a separate written agreement.

Corrections and Questions

If you believe pricing or provider information we've shared is outdated or incorrect — or you're a provider who'd like to update your cash-pay prices — contact us at hello@wellwardhealth.com. Requests involving personal data are handled under our Privacy Policy and Consumer Health Data Privacy Policy.