[dragonwriter]

> If I broke my leg doing something stupid you can bet your ass I'd call around and get quotes if I could.

Quotes for...what? Even with price transparency on actual services, “I broke my leg” doesn't tell you with much specificity what services you need. And that's not even to discuss, “I'm having chest pain and dizziness”.

[dsfyu404ed]

>Quotes for...what? Even with price transparency on actual services, “I broke my leg” doesn't tell you with much specificity what services you need. And that's not even to discuss, “I'm having chest pain and dizziness”.

Sounds a lot like "my car is making a funny noise" or "my septic is backed up". Diagnosis should be cheap/free depending on how involved it is and then you get a quote for how much it will cost to fix and the quote usually includes some language like "and if X happens we'll stop work and call you/charge X to fix it as well".

Figuring out what work needs to be done based on vague descriptions by people who don't know the subject matter is what professionals do. I don't see why doctors should be held to a lower standard.

[kingaillas]

And that's why seeing a doctor often involves a battery of seemingly unrelated tests - diagnosis can be difficult and involved.

The fact is "my car is making a funny noise" or "my septic is backed up" are not life threatening situations; they are inconveniences with ready substitutes available. Health care is not a free market like car mechanics and plumbing are.