[gmack]

Granted, the OP indicates that indeed it is difficult to get advanced pricing because it entails asking the doctor for the code, then checking with the insurance company.

But what's stopping people from voluntarily posting the procedure_code=>price information they obtain? Are there contractual/legal reasons that prevent you from sharing that information? If patients get that price in the normal course of getting healthcare, then why not share it all, and force transparency in the market?

[trolley]

This comment made me wonder if such a thing (crowdsourced medical pricing) existed: turns out it does [1, 2, 3]. I would absolutely love to see resources like these take off, until using them is as common place as checking GasBuddy before filling your gas tank.

[1] http://www.healthcarebluebook.com/

[2] http://clearhealthcosts.com/faq/

[3] http://outofpocket.com/OOP/AddVisit.aspx

[11Blade]

Medicare posts their fee schedule for every single CPT code.

[gmack]

Right, but presumably Medicare's prices are significantly lower due to its negotiating power (which is why "Medicare for All" may not be such a bad idea). As we can see from many of the comments here, the prices vary widely, even when you make the effort to find out what they are for your provider and insurer.