Health Care Advocates' Pricing Pushback

There was a time when consumers shopped for new cars with the same kind of limitations that hinder them from shopping for affordable health care today.

The Automobile Information Disclosure Act of 1958, passed five decades after Model Ts first rolled onto the streets, finally brought about published sticker prices for new cars. In today's Internet-powered world, consumers now enjoy a wealth of information -- far beyond simple sticker prices -- that help them select the vehicles that best fit their needs.

Powerful politicians, from the president on down, have recently stepped up their efforts to arm consumers with similar knowledge about health care services and supplies. With increasing force, they have been calling for detailed pricing information on everything from hospital procedures to medical devices to prescription drugs, and -- despite resistance from powerhouses inside the health care industry itself -- they insist that they will win out in the end. ...