Price transparency has become a routine part of retail business, driven by consumers’ ability to instantly shop online from numerous vendors. Such information often includes data about the vendor’s performance and product quality, allowing choice on value. However, pricing in health care is more complicated and difficult to predict because the patient-level cost is affected by available discounts, the actual benefit provided by their health care insurance, their coinsurance rate, how much of the deductible has been met, and perhaps, most difficult of all, what exact services and supplies they will need to purchase for the service. Shopping for health care is mainly feasible for elective and common conditions. In addition, many patients will choose to strongly factor into their decision a referral to a specific physician or facility in preference to pricing information.

由于消费者能够即时从众多供应商处在线购物，价格透明已成为零售业务的常规部分。此类信息通常包括有关供应商绩效和产品质量的数据，从而可以选择价值。然而，医疗保健定价更加复杂且难以预测，因为患者层面的成本受可用折扣、医疗保险提供的实际福利、共同保险费率、已满足的免赔额以及可能，最困难的是，他们需要为这项服务购买哪些确切的服务和用品。购买医疗保健主要适用于选修和常见情况。此外，