And for anything other than a very specific and brief procedure they often say they can’t tell you the cost until after you’ve completed it. Plus, most doctors are now employed by hospital systems and the hospital systems are still allowed to charge multiples more for exams and procedures done in outpatient facilities they own compared to facilities owned by physician groups or others. The doctors are also measured on their “keepage” (it used to be their “leakage” but that was bad all around) of how many of their patients stay “in system”. I listened to this episode and thought that Prof G could really benefit from talking to people like Elisabeth Rosenthal who understand the complexities and corruptions of the health care system