Breaking with Tradition, California Physician Group Lists Prices for Procedures

California’s largest private physician practice posted prices for 58 medical procedures on its web site, a move that the LA Times says “puts a significant crack in the ages-old reluctance by doctors and other medical providers to let consumers comparison shop for services such as chest X-rays, baby vaccinations and Pap smears.”

According to the this study by the Kaiser Foundation, consumer-directed health care plans haven’t gained traction nor lived up to their cost-saving promise because consumers have scant resources when it comes to smart health care shopping. The most basic element of smart shopping—comparing prices—is incredibly difficult and time consuming. So, this story from California is a heartening development, both for consumers and for proponents of consumer-driven health plans like HSAs. Let’s hope that more health care providers follow suit.

Funeral Insurance: an Alternative to Life Insurance?

According this story in the Times, burial insurance is gaining in popularity among people who don’t want or can’t afford life insurance. “[Lower-income people] see holding burial insurance as a point of pride, as well as security. They want a dignified funeral for themselves and their kin, and they have seen the crushing debts left by funerals that may cost well over $5,000.” Steven J. Dubner, of “Freakonomics” fame, thinks it’s a bad investment. Got an opinion? Put it in below.

Dentists: Give Us Your (Not) Poor…

By now you’ve probably heard about the story of 12-year-old Deamonte Driver, who died from a brain infection that started out as a tooth infection. Driver’s mother had tried in vain to find a dentist for her son. Turns out most dentists don’t want to take patients covered under Medicare. This trenchant article from Slate.com explains why. (Hint: Our head-in-the-clouds congress that doesn’t want to admit that our public health insurance system rations medical care for the poor.)