I am really surprised to read that American healthcare costs are not transparent. As I mentioned in another comment I know exactly how much everything costs to

I am really surprised to read that American healthcare costs are not transparent. As I mentioned in another comment I know exactly how much everything costs to me and insurance. My HDHP is serviced by United Healthcare (largest Healthcare company in the US). For every visit to the doctor, I get an explanation of benefits. This tells me what the doctor charged, what insurance actually paid them and what I owe. I'm pretty sure that's pretty standard across the industry. Then comparing costs... It's pointless. I can't afford to go out of network, so I go with who my doctor recommends. They will then get paid the already negotiated rate (which is probably the same rate across the network).