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In other countries you can see prices before making a decision. Funny that this a (sticker) shocker to us still today.

markdown 6y ago
In many countries you don't see prices when you go to the hospital because there aren't any. Also, in most countries when you go to the supermarket, you see prices on everything that are the prices you'll be paying at checkout. The United States is truly a paradise for the profiteering capitalist. Citizens will bend over and let you blindfold them before transacting.
- accounted 6y ago
  In many countries, the concept of the hospital is also different from what it is in the US. Where in the US there are clinics, ERs, urgent cares, and specialty practices, elsewhere there's just hospitals and you can go for any kind of treatment big or small.
  - markdown 6y ago
    Nah, there are clinics and specialty practices even in the smallest third world countries. ER/Urgent care is the same whether it has its own physical building or is a department in a hospital. None of this has any impact on pricing.
  - ipaddr 6y ago
    Usually for urgent care you go to a hospital if it is not urgent you go to your doctor or walkin clinic.
  - C19is20 6y ago
    European here: we have all of those.
PragmaticPulp 6y ago
That's what this article is about. The prices must be revealed now: > As of Jan. 1, hospitals must publicly reveal the negotiated rates reached with insurers for services, a landmark shift in the sector notoriously opaque when it comes to pricing. The data offer a peek behind the curtain, exposing prices long kept a secret.
- WalterSear 6y ago
  I called UCSF's price transparency hotline earlier this week, to find out the price of some Xrays, because my insurance - the best plan that I was offered - won't even cover the first $2,000, and then half the cost after that. The pricing transparency hotline told me that they could not give me a quote until I made appointments for the procedures. I called the Xray department. Apparently, they don't set appointments as Xrays are a walk-in procedure. After almost two hours on hold and being handed around, I found someone who was able to tell me that the Xray billing department could provide me the information, provided that I was able to get an exact list of the Xrays that my doctor required. They could see my doctor's referral on their screen, but apparently, I still needed to reach out to my doctor and get the information from him, if I was to provide it to the billing department. I messaged my doctor four days ago. He hasn't replied. Given that he squeezed me into his schedule at the last minute, and he usually replies to my messages after 10 pm, or during the weekend, it's clear that he's overworked, and I don't want to be an additional burden on him. The last two weeks have been agony, and I haven't even been able to start to pursuing a diagnosis. This current week has also involved a lot of rage. I've come to the conclusion that the system is so egregiously predatory that everyone involved - even those who are working within the system to ostensibly help me (such as my doctor) are ultimately culpable, since they are propping up the system.
  - tguvot 6y ago
    did you consider somebody else ? for example sutter health has a price list for common things online https://www.sutterhealth.org/for-patients/health-care-costs-charges-smf https://www.sutterhealth.org/for-patients/health-care-costs-...

In many countries you don't see prices when you go to the hospital because there aren't any. Also, in most countries when you go to the supermarket, you see prices on everything that are the prices you'll be paying at checkout. The United States is truly a paradise for the profiteering capitalist. Citizens will bend over and let you blindfold them before transacting.

accounted 6y ago
In many countries, the concept of the hospital is also different from what it is in the US. Where in the US there are clinics, ERs, urgent cares, and specialty practices, elsewhere there's just hospitals and you can go for any kind of treatment big or small.
- markdown 6y ago
  Nah, there are clinics and specialty practices even in the smallest third world countries. ER/Urgent care is the same whether it has its own physical building or is a department in a hospital. None of this has any impact on pricing.
- ipaddr 6y ago
  Usually for urgent care you go to a hospital if it is not urgent you go to your doctor or walkin clinic.
- C19is20 6y ago
  European here: we have all of those.

PragmaticPulp 6y ago

That's what this article is about. The prices must be revealed now: > As of Jan. 1, hospitals must publicly reveal the negotiated rates reached with insurers for services, a landmark shift in the sector notoriously opaque when it comes to pricing. The data offer a peek behind the curtain, exposing prices long kept a secret.

WalterSear 6y ago
I called UCSF's price transparency hotline earlier this week, to find out the price of some Xrays, because my insurance - the best plan that I was offered - won't even cover the first $2,000, and then half the cost after that. The pricing transparency hotline told me that they could not give me a quote until I made appointments for the procedures. I called the Xray department. Apparently, they don't set appointments as Xrays are a walk-in procedure. After almost two hours on hold and being handed around, I found someone who was able to tell me that the Xray billing department could provide me the information, provided that I was able to get an exact list of the Xrays that my doctor required. They could see my doctor's referral on their screen, but apparently, I still needed to reach out to my doctor and get the information from him, if I was to provide it to the billing department. I messaged my doctor four days ago. He hasn't replied. Given that he squeezed me into his schedule at the last minute, and he usually replies to my messages after 10 pm, or during the weekend, it's clear that he's overworked, and I don't want to be an additional burden on him. The last two weeks have been agony, and I haven't even been able to start to pursuing a diagnosis. This current week has also involved a lot of rage. I've come to the conclusion that the system is so egregiously predatory that everyone involved - even those who are working within the system to ostensibly help me (such as my doctor) are ultimately culpable, since they are propping up the system.
- tguvot 6y ago
  did you consider somebody else ? for example sutter health has a price list for common things online https://www.sutterhealth.org/for-patients/health-care-costs-charges-smf https://www.sutterhealth.org/for-patients/health-care-costs-...