Doctors group among first to post prices of procedures online

[caligirl]

Doctors group among first to post prices of procedures online
By the Associated Press
Article Launched: 05/28/2007 08:12:45 AM PDT

TORRANCE, Calif. (AP) - Breaking with long-held medical tradition, a Southern California physicians group has become one of the first and largest health organizations in the nation to make prices for procedures easily available to the public.

HealthCare Partners put an itemized price list on its Web site last week, with little fanfare.

"It feels like the right thing to do," said Robert Margolis, a founding physician and chief executive of the medical group.

The Torrance-based company serves more than 500,000 patients, who can now learn without asking that a flu vaccine runs $15, a chest X-ray goes for $61, and a colonoscopy costs $424.

The page can be accessed easily by clicking on "fees for basic services."

http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_6006534