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While it's difficult to make a price comparison after the fact, it might be even harder in advance.

Emergency room workers won't talk about prices prior to caring for a patient because of federal requirements that they treat all comers, said Dr. Jonathan Landis, director of emergency medicine at Allegheny General Hospital's Suburban Campus. Talking finances in advance could be construed as trying to scare away a patient, plus it's impossible to assess a patient's needs over the phone, he said.

. . .

People with HSAs, of course, are supposed to worry about the price. A patient with an HSA offered by Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield gets the benefit of Highmark's discounted rate, so that patient might want to know how Highmark reimburses different facilities before making a choice.

But Highmark doesn't give HSA members information about negotiated discounts, said Kim Bellard, a Highmark vice president. The insurer is reluctant because hospital discounts were negotiated at a time when hospitals believed the information wouldn't be shared publicly, Bellard said.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05072/470126.stm