Doctor’s bills often come with sticker shock for patients − but health insurance could be reinvented to provide costs upfront

The price of the doctor's visit you calculated online might not reflect what you'll actually be billed. CSA Images/Getty Images

You have scheduled an appointment with a health care provider, but no matter how hard you try, no one seems to be able to reliably tell you how much that visit will cost you. Will you have to pay US$20, $1,000 – or even more?

Patients are increasingly on the hook for health care costs through deductibles, co-pays and other fees. As a result, patients are demanding credible cost information before appointments to choose where they seek care and control their budget.