Consumers face difficulties in getting health care price lists

News outlets report on how the health care system sometimes adds to consumers' difficulties.

The Fiscal Times: The Plot To Keep Health Care Prices From Consumers
Employers are already moving in the direction of giving consumers "more skin in the game," according to a recent survey by the Employee Benefits Research Institute. One in five Americans are already in high-deductible insurance plans, an all-time high, even though this approach is leading many to skimp on preventive services that could avoid higher health care costs down the road (Goozner, 4/16).

Los Angeles Times: Healthcare Pricing Still A Struggle For Consumers
Californians are still struggling to get straight answers about the cost of common medical procedures despite state efforts aimed at lifting the veil on medical pricing. ... Under a state law that took effect in 2006, hospitals must publish their average charges for the most common procedures on a state website. But relatively few take the extra step of listing prices on their own websites (Terhune, 4/15).

Earlier, related KHN story: Want To Know What A Hospital Charges? Good Luck (Weaver, 6/29/10)