Medical pricing transparency: Sometimes the real cost matters

Atlanta Journal Constitution: Push For Price Transparency In Health Care
For many people with health insurance, the actual final cost of a medical service they receive is a mystery not worth solving. After all, it's covered. But for the nearly 50 million Americans without health insurance, as well as those with very high insurance deductibles, or who seek services not covered under their policies, the real price matters: They pay cash. Finding out what a certain procedure should fairly cost, however, can be difficult. Now, a few online companies, including a brand-new startup in Alpharetta, have emerged to serve the cash-paying health market niche, offering what they describe as greater price transparency and ease of use, not to mention discounts to their users (Markiewicz, 3/5).