# Website To Determine Average Health Cost Prices! Interesting!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/website-to-determine-average-health-cost-prices-interesting/624629>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [June 9, 2012, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/website-to-determine-average-health-cost-prices-interesting/624629 "2012-06-09T16:28:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2012, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/website-to-determine-average-health-cost-prices-interesting/624629/1 "2012-06-09T16:28:07Z")

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Our local TV news just gave an interesting link to:  
[Healthcare Blue Book](http://healthcarebluebook.com/)

You can type in your zip code and get “average” prices for all kinds of health care services. This could be very helpful if you are using a provider outside of your insurance coverage, or even if you don’t have insurance, to see how much a procedure might/should cost.

I think I will save this site as a “favorite” - not that the prices are written in stone, but you have something to compare when asking what something will cost.

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**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2012, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/website-to-determine-average-health-cost-prices-interesting/624629/2 "2012-06-09T19:42:08Z")

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Or go to the source —\> [http://www.healthcare.gov/](http://www.healthcare.gov/)

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**Author:** ![Amasia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba9def/32.png) [@Amasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amasia)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2012, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/website-to-determine-average-health-cost-prices-interesting/624629/3 "2012-06-09T22:38:13Z")

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This is a cool way of starting to remove some of the confusion behind the cost of care. However, anytime something in healthcare claims to show the cost, we should be asking “cost to who?” I would bet that this is based on average Medicare claims data or out-of-pocket costs, but not actually based on what private insurance companies are actually paying.

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**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2012, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/website-to-determine-average-health-cost-prices-interesting/624629/4 "2012-06-09T23:19:47Z")

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According to this, I overpaid $445 at the dentist two weeks ago. ☹

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**Author:** ![Enkel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@Enkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enkel)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2012, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/website-to-determine-average-health-cost-prices-interesting/624629/5 "2012-06-09T23:40:17Z")

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Did you click the printable health care agreement? Basically, they’re saying print off this agreement and take with you to your doctor and get it signed before you are seen…

Hahahaha… I can imagine what my doctor would say… “There is the door, good luck to you”