The consumer heading into a medical procedure rarely knows what it will cost. Quite often, the actual out-of-pocket figure isn’t known until the insurance company is done with its calculations, and sends the consumer (and the provider) a bill. That’s the routine, but it seems odd. The answer to “what does it cost?” might be […]

Not long ago, I developed a sharp awareness of the costs of medical care. One motivating factor was an anesthesia bill for a 30-minute operation at a suburban New York City hospital in March 2007 to remove hardware inserted to fix a broken leg.  The anesthesia bill, about $6,000, was triple the size of the […]

Hi, thanks for visiting. I’m Jeanne Pinder, a longtime journalist with a deep interest in health care and a great deal of experience (and frustration) with sorting through medical statements and trying to understand them. Among the biggest questions in health care today are these: Why can’t I know what medical procedures and items will […]