Florida seems to be ahead of you on this one:

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2009/1/2/420931.html

Now you can get it directly from the service provider.

If the shock doesn't kill you, you'll most likely survive the
procedure.


--- In ibmpension@yahoogroups.com, flatsflyer <no_reply@...> wrote:
>
> Estimates for various procedures are off by at least 100%. Just
got off
> the phone with UHC and they told me that the estimates are not
> guranteed and may differ from what actual charges are. I asked why
> didn't that make the contracted cost the estimated cost. They told
me
> they couldn't because the contacted cost is between them and the
> provider. That makes no sense as I'm paying the bill because my
> deductible was not met. Now I'm being billed the the allowable
cost,
> which is double the UHC web published estimate.
>
> The proovider is not allowed to bill the patient for charges above
the
> contracted cost, therefore the contracted charge and the estimates
> should be one and the same. That way the consumer would be able to
make
> an informed decision when contemplating various procedures. I'm
now
> faced with paying double what I planned because of UHC poor job of
> estmating costs.
>
> This is simply another example of what's wrong with our current
health
> care system.
>