If you have health insurance, you may not pay much attention to how much different medical procedures cost. But if you don’t have insurance or use out-of-network doctors, you have a right to know the cost of certain procedures ahead of time. That way, you can avoid getting stuck with an unexpected bill or even negotiate a better price from the provider.

The nonprofit group Fair Health has a feature on its website that lets you find estimates of the average prices charged for medical and dental procedures in your area. I just looked up the cost of a physical therapy evaluation for my particular zip code. The chart showed the estimated charge, the estimated reimbursement (which depends on what your plan allows) and the out-of-pocket charge to me. When I checked the costs for a gold crown, I was asked several questions about the type of crown before getting a rough estimate of $1,300. Don’t forget to check out the Healthcare Resources section and the useful Glossary of Terms.

Leave a Reply