Tackling the Mystery of How Much It Costs

You go to a restaurant, peruse the menu, take your waiter’s suggestions, and order a meal. But there is something odd: the menu has no prices and you have no idea what you will be required to pay until a few weeks later when the bill arrives in the mail.

That, it turns out, is analogous to what goes on in health care, where fees are hidden at the time of service. Making matters even worse, patients often are seeking care when they are frightened and vulnerable, in no position to ask about prices or haggle.