Transparent Healthcare

Last Sunday Tom Daschle said "Healthcare is probably the only sector in this economy where at time of purchase you don't know what it's going to cost or who is going to pay."

When I heard Mr. Daschle say this I was flummoxed.  I replayed the segment a few times, wrote down his words and shook my head while muttering to myself - I concur with Tom Daschle?

The Affordable Health Care for America Act has roughly twice the words as Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix, is full of good ideas and new taxes but never mentions cost transparency.  I'm tired of having very little, if any clue what something is going to cost prior to a doctors visit or procedure.  I'm tied of asking and getting nothing but a cursory, "I'm sorry" to a deathly blank stare.

Is it overly simplistic to suggest that cost transparency might be the "Golden Snitch" of health care? Clearly both Tom and I think it's worth a try so why do we continue to practice 21st century medicine with 19th century billing?