Healthcare in America is probably the only industry where you are actually expected to use the services without having any idea how much those services cost. Calling ahead to ask what something costs is often met with resistance, or confusion, or lots of research time trying to figure out the answer. The more I learn about how difficult it is to call and get simple pricing information, the more infuriated I get. To that end, when I find facilities who openly list their prices for services I am overjoyed. One of my favorite is the Surgery Center of Oklahoma, who provide total cost information for a wide range of surgeries. It’s not a bait a switch practice. This is the total cost. If there is any potential of extra cost those are also clearly mentioned (for instance sometimes additional equipment is required for certain procedures but is unknown until surgery starts). I appreciate places such as these so much. As a result of their clear, fair pricing, they are very popular. This facility doesn’t take insurance, or government payments. You pay right away the fixed amount you were quoted. One number, not sixteen different bills for each doctor. It’s amazingly simple and wonderful. I can tell you, if I need a surgery I can travel for, I’m definitely going to price that surgery center in OK first. I live two states away, but I’m willing to drive it. In many cases their costs are 90% less than what big hospitals charge. There’s something grossly wrong with healthcare pricing in this country when this surgery center can make a reasonable profit charging 10% of the next guy. Wow. My hope is that more and more medical facilities will move to this model. With the drastic payment cutting by insurance and gov’t to doctors as a result of Obamacare, I suspect more and more of these places could appear on the landscape. I hope another one opens near me (and you) very soon.