Here are four things to know:
1. According to the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, out-of-pocket costs rose from an average of $401 in 2010 to $1,318 in 2015 for those with employer-provided health insurance.
2. A 2015 study by New York-based Public Agenda, which focuses on complex public interest topics, found that 56 percent of Americans have researched prices prior to getting care, and 21 percent have comparison-shopped.
3. Healthcare comparison websites have proliferated in recent years. Website such as Saveonmedical.com, an advertising-supported website that offers limited comparison shopping for common procedures and tests, have become popular.
4. At Saveonmedical.com, customers prepay in cash and schedule appointments through the website. The company is testing technology to process insurance claims.
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