Recently, my wife went to the doctor with stomach issues.  The doctor recommended a simple diagnostic test called a HIDA scan.  We have an HSA high-deductible health insurance plan with a $6,450 deductible, meaning we would be paying for the procedure out-of-pocket until our deductible was met.

Before my wife left the doctor's office, she asked the receptionist what she thought was a simple question: “How much is this going to cost?”

The receptionist had no idea — and she had no way to check.  She looked at my wife like it was an unreasonable question.  A manager contacted a third-party billing agency to get her a quote, which ended up being nothing close to what we actually paid in the end.