Many physicians will discount their high-cost procedures by up to 60% because of the time, money and human resources they save by receiving payment directly from the patients and avoiding the hassle of dealing with an insurance company. There are definitely more factors that go into a price of a good/service than its quality.

Because others countries do show prices for procedures - while the quality of doctors and equipment is similar. Yes, you can get porcelain crowns in Cancun, Mexico for $450, using the highest standards as in the USA. There are many other success stories, but Dental Tourism is already a reality for thousands of Americans looking for affordable cosmetic dental work.

If you are a patient, consider signing up. It's free and we are building a healthcare market place, facilitating exchange between doctors and private citizens directly, without any mediators.

While there are huge regional and professional differences in compensation across the US, nobody really had any clear picture of the market place. Even though it might temporarily benefit large health-care providers or medical equipment manufacturers in providing a cartel like environment it does hurt everyone over the long time. Medical advances and innovation - in service as well as in research and equipment are stiffled if prices for procedure are not transparent and thus unavailable as indicators for opportunities. It hurts especially middle class families who struggle in a crippled economy and when they face unrealistic and inflated medical bills.

Many of the uninsured patients the hospitals turn away (because of their inability to pay) end up in physician-owned facilities where they receive the operation or care they were denied at many “not for profit” facilities. It is true that they charge gigantic and uncollectable amounts to maximize their take from the "uncompensated care" and also to create red ink and bad debt that allows them to carry “reserves” that are many times in the billions of dollars. Price transparency is a time honored principle of cutting waste, stream-lining operations and striving for higher quality - if incentivized by quality ratings and reviews.

Hospitals get paid even when they don’t get paid….even when they “show” a loss. Federal kickbacks from the uncompensated care system are calculated based on the extent to which hospitals claim they were not paid. Head over to our link section to read up on medical fraud due to price intransparency.

Cost shifting means that your bill and someone else’s bill are put into your pocket as you leave the hospital, you paying for both. Using this logic, it is hard to maintain that the hospitals are providing any charity care at all, isn’t it? All of the massive new building projects, hospital purchases and physician practice purchases are financed with this cost-shifting. It simply is overcharging.

Hospitals make money on everything they do. Remember, they make money when they claim they lose money, making more money, the more losses they claim. They have claimed for years that their emergency rooms lose money, yet there is a crane in front of almost every ER, building on. Wouldn’t you build on to your loss leader? They have even commissioned studies to show that their ER’s lost money, but the money generated from the surgeries and diagnostic studies generated from the emergency room patients has always been mysteriously eliminated from these revenue calculations. Reason magazine journalist, Jim Epstein discovered that our online prices were actually less than what Medicaid pays the area hospitals for the same services.

Hospitals have been using their “cost structure” or overhead to justify their charges for years. Health care consumers are beginning to flee these horribly inefficient institutions, particularly now that they know that affordable and upfront pricing is available in Oklahoma City for almost anything healthcare-related you can think of. It is about time the budget of the consumer ruled the day, rather than the empire-building desire and inefficiencies of the hospitals.

If you don’t care about looks or the crowns won’t normally show, base metal alloys are cheap. If looks are important or the crowns will normally show, porcelain-covered metal is durable but expensive. Cosmetics and durability also affect price. Metal alloys are stronger while all-resin/ceramic/porcelain crowns will wear down and fracture over time requiring later replacement. There’s a lot more to choosing crowns than price. Obviously. Nobody said otherwise. The same is true for nearly everything else you buy. But in almost all cases everyone would expect you to make an informed choice after consulting experts. It's part of being grown up. Knowledge is healthier.

It's not a sign of competence to pick a car at a car dealership without looking at the price tag. Checking the price after signing a contract makes no sense. In an emergency there is nothing we can do, and won't be shopping for prices - but at all other times we should. It will make sure that health care providers become most efficient and innovative and will improve our experience in case of a serious emergency. Allowing waste and overhead costs to creep into health care is a dangerous business, as it takes away money that could be utilized to help and cure people.

The same argument can be made for a large variety of industries - all of which do post their prices. Businesses would go out of business if they did not - because someone else will. Most service industries face a certain uncertainty when it comes to pricing and try to establish their brand and showcase their skill and experience in such a way that the consumer can make the choice himself.

What the future might bring:

• Furious competition (eventually)
• Incredible service offerings (to attract business)
• Cutting of waste and fraud
• A higher quality and way way cheaper health-care, affordable for everyone
• Novel ideas how to attract, service and hold patients
• Potential gigantic drop in insurance rates
• Falling medical equipment prices
• Kids in Bangladesh playing with MRI's because they have become super cheap
• The US a leader in health-care efficiency, quality and technological innovation

But what we do know is that you, who are reading this right now, can make a difference. Consider signing up for a free and help change the face of healthcare. Figuratively speaking.