(Note:  This week's blog is dedicated to the memory of my mother, Marjorie D. Corcoran, 08/13/1924—10/19/2020)

Two things I always argue in favor of in any family or social interactions:  "Pay doctors and airline captains." Pilots are easy. You want to get the best when it comes to delivering 190 souls safely out of the clouds and back to the ground.

Ever been on a bumpy flight when the gray soup is all around for like a solid hour? Sure, we all have. That's such a great feeling when you break the cloud ceiling and you can finally see the wonderful cityscape below. That's when you know you're going to get to the fun trip, or home, and see everyone you like again. I want the best possible guy—or gal—up front to get that done for me!

Okay, then there's the doctor—or more to the point, the Specialist. I have always believed if there's anybody out there in our economic landscape who deserves what they're making, it's those who spent the most of their youth in school, learning what's the hardest, most expensive, and most critical to learn.

Now to my friend. Let's call him "Al" (I asked him what name I should use for this, and he said, "Call me Al"). He was hopping mad over drinks as he told me about his recent encounter with what I like to call "the deductible trap."

Al has an annual visit to his E.N.T. to take a follow-up look into his sinus cavity. You see, he had a problem a few years ago with a sinus obstruction. In this particular case, the obstruction came out of nowhere, in the form of a polyp. It was easily removed, and normal breathing returned. Great! But the annual look-see is to check to ensure nothing will try to grow back again—up in there.

The floppy, silicone-clad wire with a camera on the end is a bit aggravating, Al tells me. His E.N.T. snakes it all around to look into every corner of Al's sinus cavity. But what really hurts is when he stops by the counter on his way out. You know, the business counter.

Used to be, you paid your co-pay, they have your insurance info, and you're done until next time. But in the age of modern Health Insurance, BIG deductibles, and unknown PROPRIETARY pricing (that's where your Health Insurance Company has negotiated a "discount" for you, then you have to pay it all, and they won't tell you what that price is, until the moment it's time to actually pay it. You find out at the business counter—where else!). 

That last part is important. As Al relived his experience:  "Yeah, used to be you at least went home to catch your breath, and then got a bill. I mean your insurance HAS to have time to take a look at it, right???" But no, not in these days. On your way out, they already know what you don't know, and they want to settle up right away.

We should all understand this. After all, when you buy groceries, a TV, or a car, they expect their money—cash & carry. So in Al's case, office visit, $170.00; look-see in the sinus, $292.00; clean-out of both ears, $135.00, for a grand total of $597.00. For most people, this is a very unpleasant shock. So much so, it causes many, many hundreds of thousands of Americans to shy away from needed medical care, partly because of the price, but also partly due to the fact it is a blindside expense and cannot be adequately prepared for. Unless you're shopping for Botox, Lasik or the like, you don't ask for the price, and NO ONE wants to tell you.

So DOC$ is organized behind a guiding principle, embodied by our tagline which you see in bold at the end of this, and every one of our blogs. Our aim is to help foster "Healthcare Price Transparency" by three main tactics. First, we will promote use of our forum for Healthcare consumers to post, and then search to compare prices to find the best values among Providers. Second, we will work to find the highest value Providers of the most frequent costly medical procedures, and we will feature them on our Provider Deals page. Third, we'll encourage all our users to be more aware and better prepared for future medical expenses. Like Al, who wrapped up his account of his recent experience:

"Next year, I'll give them a call a month before my annual visit. I'll tell them I want to know in advance what the charges will be, net of any discounts, etc. my insurance company has worked out on my behalf. Then I'll remind them how in light of my deductible, I'm actually a 'cash payer' and I'll ask what's the best cash deal they can offer. Who knows? But at least I'll know in advance what I'm in for."

Know the Cost of Healthcare BEFORE You Go In!