Even A Seasoned Private Investigator Can’t Uncover Real Healthcare Prices

Scott Ross is a seasoned private investigator in Los Angeles, working on some of the biggest criminal cases in the state over the last couple of decades. But even he can’t uncover opaque hospital prices. In a recent op-ed published in the California Globe, Scott tells his universal story of contending with high and hidden healthcare prices and explains how price transparency can fix the broken American healthcare system. Ultimately, he argues that it shouldn't take a private investigator to discover real healthcare prices. He writes:

Like countless Americans, I’ve faced the consequences of being blinded to healthcare prices first-hand. Late last year, my wife developed a rash and serious pain. Her regular doctor was unavailable, so we went to the West Hills Hospital emergency room in LA County. The doctor there examined her for less than one minute, diagnosed her with shingles, and prescribed her three medications.

Weeks later, we received bills from the doctor and hospital totaling $1,800. Because we hadn’t met our insurance deductible, we were on the hook for the full amount. Eighteen hundred dollars for a one-minute visual examination and three prescriptions? Outrageous. Contrast this price to the $118 her regular doctor chargers per appointment, and the hospital seems guilty of scam-level price gouging.

If I had known that merely going through the hospital doors for a brief doctor examination would cost $1,800, I would have turned around and drove to my wife’s doctor’s office and sat in the parking lot until he arrived. By hiding these prices, hospitals can maximize their revenues by taking advantage of people who never would have paid them if known up-front.

I wasn’t prepared to give in to this over-billing. I told the hospital administrator that I will never pay this bill. She replied that it will be sent to collections.

Like the Liam Neeson character in the movie Taken, I have a unique set of skills, honed over a long career to contend with situations like these. I am a seasoned private investigator who has worked on some high-profile criminal cases around the country over the last forty years. I know the many specific legal rights that consumers have in such circumstances.

Read the full op-ed in the California Globe here.