The problem with asking patients to shop based on price is that the penalty for making the wrong choice is much more devastating than with just about any other good or service. I did a ton of research when I bought my car, but even then the price of making a sub-optimal decision was limited to a substandard experience or waste of money. When choosing a surgeon, however, the cost of a wrong decision will be perceived to be much higher—shoddy work there could be life-altering&#x2F;ending.<p>Of course, shoddy workmanship on my car could also have devastating results (and safety was a big part of my decision process, especially since my father might not have died in his car accident if he had side curtain airbags), but it&#x27;s not considered with the same level of urgency.<p>Also, I&#x27;m extremely wary of pricing schemes that disincentivize preventative care and early interventions. Many illnesses are much more treatable—at much lower cost—if they&#x27;re caught early. While we also need to be careful to avoid unnecessary expense, we don&#x27;t want to discourage people from seeking care at the early signs of trouble.<p>That being said, I do agree that transparency in healthcare costs is very much needed. However, we need to be careful in considering how market forces impact personal healthcare decisions.