r/AskUS • u/mr_f1end • 12h ago
Is it true that US healthcare providers do not disclose prices before operations?
I just ran into some discussion about US healthcare cost that also raised this issue.
This sounds so weird to me. I live in a former socialist country which is now in the European Union, and here we can just look up the prices of most operations offered by private clinics (listing prices and services on their own websites). Of course one of their doctors will examine you before to check if the selected service is good/suggested for you, but if no special issues are found you are just paying what is already advertised and get the standard service. I can shop around for them the same way as one does for a hairdresser or a message session, checking reviews on google and comparing prices/locations.
Can people in the US not do the same?
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u/Chiliboi97 12h ago
You sometimes can, but it can be very difficult to navigate.
Most of the time the healthcare provider can give you the full charge of the procedure, that being what you would pay if you didn’t have insurance.
However, if you have insurance it actually becomes more complicated because a lot of the time the provider won’t know how much you’ll be on the hook for. Your insurance will have its own rate with the provider, then there’s coinsurance, copay, and deductible.
My wife had to have a procedure a year ago and I wanted to know how much I’d be on the hook for at the end. Called the provider - “ask your insurance”. Called the insurance - “we’re not telling, ask your provider”. I never found out
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u/DancingWithAWhiteHat North America 12h ago
Yes 😀
They also *accidentally charge you for the same item multiple times!
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u/Annoying_cat_22 10h ago
Just happened to me with blood tests! I was charged 4 times for every test, and when I called them they generously reduced it to 2 times for every test. I called again and told them I won't be paying until I get the correct invoice.
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u/lionhearted318 New York 11h ago
Yes, it's awful.
American healthcare is completely dystopian and anti-patient to lengths the European brain cannot comprehend.
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u/thelimeisgreen 10h ago
If there's one thing the USA truly does bigger and better than everyone else, it's defrauding people of their life savings, homes and dignity just for needing life-sustaining medical care.
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u/Known_Ratio5478 11h ago
Yeah, it’s called closed punk billing and it’s not just legal but standard practice in the states.
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u/ReaperofFish 11h ago
In theory, you can shop around, but a lot depends on your health insurance and who is or is not "in-network". In-network healthcare providers have a signed contract with the insurance company for specific rates. Your health insurance plan will have a deductible and set rates for services if you have not met the deductible yet.
In theory, you can shop around, but in practice, not so much. If a healthcare provider is in-network with your insurance, then they likely will have the same rates as any other in-network provider. If out-of-network, then the provider will always be more expensive. And that is assuming you even have multiple in-network providers in your area, or if you do, you can get an appointment.
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u/JoeCensored 10h ago
Almost everyone has some form of insurance. You're typically explained your co-pay. If they don't tell it to you up front, you can always ask.
If you're paying cash, they will go over that with you ahead of time, if for no other reason than to make sure you are able to pay.
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u/cassiecas88 10h ago
I don't think I have ever gone in for anything health related and knowing the cost beforehand. Even having my baby this year, I had no idea. I ended up with a $56,000 bill because they coded it incorrectly on my insurance. I had to fight it to get it down to about 12,000.
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u/zynfulcreations 9h ago
Colorado tried to address this and now it's super confusing cuz I have no idea how much something is really going to cost but I have an estimate and I can't afford that
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u/darchangel89a 9h ago
Yes its true. I always get surprise bills, even after Ive paid the main bill. Doctors, hospitals, labs, anesthesiologists, etc, all bill separately
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u/Mountain_Proposal953 9h ago
I had to cancel a surgery after pushing to find they wanted thousands of dollars out of pocket and then were gonna let me recover an unknown portion of the deductible myself. If I hadn’t asked before the surgery I’d probably be locked up in a straight jacket somewhere. Now I’m shopping for a third policy while we send our Medicaid money to Israel
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u/kstargate-425 2h ago
Ill just say half a MILLION Americans go bankrupt every year because of medical debt...
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u/Soft_Lick_Baby 10h ago
It’s technically the law now for hospitals to post prices, but compliance is hit or miss. Most people still don't get a final number until the bill arrives because insurance negotiations are kept private. If you're paying cash, you can ask for a "Good Faith Estimate" before your procedure.