You can be interested in the prices, but you won't find anyone interested in telling you the prices. You will also be met with complete incredulity when you ask about prices. (If you're asking about prices for a procedure or treatment related to your child you will also be shamed for "putting a price" on your child's health.)
Adding to this: Oftentimes there isn't a single person in the place that even knows what X costs...and hasn't a clue how to determine that number.
Years ago, I was between jobs and asked for the 'cost'. The reply I got was "$20", a typical copay at the time. When I explained my situation and was asking for the actual out the door costs...20 bucks. They really didn't even understand how to approach my question (could see it in their eyes/response). When I asked for another person in the office - 20 bucks. Hell, even the Dr told me 20 bucks. The bill I received was not 20 bucks - surprise surprise. And what could I do really - hold them to the 20 bucks? Where was my 'proof'...
Many of the people doing the admin work simply are not trained nor equipped to understand the gravity of the position. They can set you up on a calendar and fill out a postcard - beyond this, and there's problems. And why should they? They are being paid to be calendar/postcard filling person only.
The system itself was designed weirdly to begin with, it assumes that you are a wage earner of a large company that is paying insurance as an employment perk. If you deviate from this model - then these sub-systems don't know what to do.
They know what to do. But they are selectively "dumb." Do you think a doctor who runs a clinic and their employees, accountants, medical procedure coders, and insurance claims people don't know a thing or two about costs? How do they stay in business?
But if they told you some four-digit number you'd bolt.
We like to hold medical professionals in high esteem, but these days it's also a business transaction. They know this. As such they are very much a part of this very large problem.
