OutOfPocket.com was started by consumer advocates to give ordinary people a true understanding of how much they should be paying for their health care services.
A fact is a fact: the health care industry remains one of the least transparent consumer industries, and consumers are often stuck with unreasonable and surprising out-of-pocket expenses, even when they are covered. And that’s why this website has been created – to let everybody figure out it the price that any healthcare provider is asking him for is actually reasonable, or completely outrageous.
OutOfPocket.com works by using the template of a social networking site, and a basic directory that you can browse by specialty. And a search tool makes it extremely easy to figure out the cost of certain procedures (I did a search for mammograms in CA and immediately got a listing of prices in different zip codes).
And it is every bit as easy to input your own experience and the cost of services to the directory. This information can empower other consumers to fight unreasonable charges, and to know health care costs right before paying any doctor or facility a visit. While the site is still relatively new and it needs more users to gain traction, its purpose and service is invaluable.
Why Outofpocket.com It Might Be A Killer
It is rare when a new site truly serves the public good, but this is one that does.
Using the power of the internet to empower consumers, hopefully this is the beginning of many tools to address the debacle called the US health care system. They also had a super impressive list of links to other consumer health care advocates and resources.
Some Questions About Outofpocket.com
Great site with a great mission, but how are consumers going to find them? What is their marketing plan? Their web traffic may be low because they are new, but do hopefully they have strong links and relationships with other established health care links. 
