Consumers are usually unable to get accurate information about how much medical treatment will cost them before they receive it, a new government study has found. Investigators from the Government Accountability Office, a watchdog agency which works for Congress, tried to get upfront estimates from a variety of hospitals in Denver for the price of a full knee-replacement surgery. They also approached several doctors for estimates for a diabetes screening. None of the 19 hospitals surveyed could say what a patient with Medicare or a patient without insurance would have to pay for the knee-replacement surgery, the GAO reported. Of the 19 hospitals, two did not respond to inquiries, and 10 could not provide any price information at all. The rest offered broad ranges of potential charges, such as between $33,000 and $101,000, or an average charge, such as $82,000, based on the typical charge to an uninsured customer. Many hospitals said they could not make a good calculation unless they had more information, such as billing codes, the length of time the patient would be in

the operating room, the model of knee used or what kind of anesthetic would be provided. Of the 20 doctors asked about the diabetes screening, four were able to provide a complete cost estimate. Fourteen were able to provide some type of price information, with several saying that the patient would need to be seen by a physician first. Two did not respond. The report also found that providers often have legal and competitive concerns about sharing price information. In all, that’s bad news for patients who want to consider price when they make health decisions, especially for care that can be planned ahead of time, the report concluded. “This lack of health care price transparency presents a serious challenge for consumers who are increasingly being asked to pay a greater share of their health care costs,” it said. (For more on that trend, check out the recent WSJ story on what to expect from open-enrollment season.) Image: iStockphoto

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Want an Estimate of Medical Treatment Costs? Good Luck, GAO Says.