up in the hospital can be scary you're
sick and you have no idea what its gonna
cost to get better the federal
government wants to make things easier
by requiring hospitals to list prices
online two weeks into this new law
Channel 2 investigates is checking to
see what those lists look like and how
easy they are to navigate investigator
bill Spencer found that even health care
experts had a tough time figuring it all
out and tonight he's revealing the
roadblocks and two websites that could
help you compare prices at the exquisite
barber shop in Humble Christopher
Hawkins and Mike Moffat cut hair for a
living but they really like to cut are
their health care costs hospital prices
are you see Chris and his wife had four
kids including nine-year-old Christian
who has autism and requires lots of
hospital time
sir not at all
Mike shares the same frustration both he
and his wife Andre are diabetic spent a
ton at hospital visits and wonder why
they can't simply price shop when it
comes to hospitals where you go to
supermarket you know you buy me some ham
or some bacon price points listed you
know you go to a car wash you get your
shoeshine price points listed so you
know I can understand why hospitals now
all of that is changing as of January
1st a federal mandate went into effect
requiring all this nation's hospitals to
list the prices they charge online for
everything including procedures testing
prescription drugs even medical supplies
so everyday folks like you and I can
actually price shop for hospital care
this has probably seen by the government
as a first step it's not a great first
step as I see it for customers why is
that
to find out Channel 2 investigates sat
down with two medical pricing experts
Vivian Howe health economist had rice
university's Baker Institute and Shawn
fry president of prevalent health which
is analyze pricing data for over a
hundred hospital systems I don't know
what these things are and what we found
were prices for procedures and services
written so complex ly the average guy
could never understand I don't know what
a nail LNG are 1/5 11 XR 360 X 125 is
something called a kidney side del B n
sub which the charge is 67 thousand
three hundred $60 an IR Shunta gram is
six hundred eighty dollars you're in the
business and do you understand these
terms I have a hard time understanding
exactly what any of these things are I'd
like to find out what the price is for a
colonoscopy at the hospital can you try
to find that for me this hole as for
Shawn we spent over an hour looking at
seven different Hospital websites in
Houston - the price of a colonoscopy and
we're only able to find it and
understand it at one hospital system
Memorial Hermann it says ten thousand
five hundred and forty five bucks
is that exactly what I'm gonna pick no
sir he's gonna look on your deductible
it's gonna look whether or not you're in
network with this provider but even when
you find the price Sean says it will
vary depending on the type of health
insurance you have your deductible your
copay
a better idea he says go to a hospital
cost comparison website like health care
blue book comm or clear health costs
comm where they list approximate costs
for various procedures in your area you
should also call your insurance company
ask what your costs for the procedure
will be and finally call the hospital
and ask this question the key thing to
ask is this a global price what's
included in the global fees for this
particular service
now while both of our hospital costs
experts say the bulk of these hospital
price lists tend to be difficult to find
and difficult to use they say if you can
actually find the price for the
procedure that you need it will at least
give you a ballpark idea which hospitals
tend to be cheaper and which tend to be
more expensive if you go to our website
we provided links to two very good cost
comparison websites Healthcare Blue Book
calm and clear health costs calm I'm
bill Spencer KPRC channel 2 investigates