Why Hospital Prices Are So Confusing (And What We're Doing About It)

The Promise That Didn't Quite Deliver 

A few years ago, the government made hospitals publish their prices online. Finally! Transparency! 

Except... have you ever tried to actually use those price files? 

They're massive spreadsheets with millions of rows, inconsistent formats, missing information, and codes that only hospital billing departments understand. Technically "transparent"? Yes. Practically useful? Not even close. 

We spent months wrestling with these files so you don't have to. 

Here's What Makes It So Complicated 

Let's say you need a knee replacement. Simple enough, right? 

Not quite. 

That one procedure actually involves dozens of separate charges: 

• The surgery itself 

• Anesthesia 

• Operating room time 

• Medical supplies 

• Lab work 

• Imaging (X-rays, MRIs) 

• Post-surgery recovery 

• Physical therapy 

• Follow-up visits 

The hospital's published "price" might only show one piece of this puzzle—maybe just the surgery fee. But your actual bill? That's the whole episode of care. 

That's why a procedure listed at $10,000 might actually cost you $30,000. 

The numbers aren't wrong—they're just incomplete. 

How We're Making Sense of the Mess 

At Openbook, we use AI to connect the dots. 

Instead of just showing you isolated prices from those massive hospital files, our technology predicts what a complete episode of care will actually cost you - including all those hidden pieces that add up. 

We look at: 

• What procedures are typically performed together 

• Which tests and services usually come before, during, and after 

• How insurance actually processes these bundled charges 

• Real patterns from millions of healthcare transactions 

Think of it like this: The hospital files give you ingredients and individual prices. We give you the recipe and the final grocery bill. 

It Gets Even More Complicated 

Hospital price files are just the beginning. 

Insurance companies also publish their own negotiated rates (required by law since 2022). Different hospitals negotiate different rates with different insurers. Prices vary by location, by facility type, by whether you're staying overnight or going home same day. 

Oh, and all of this changes regularly. 

We pull from every available source - hospital files, insurance data, public records, and more - to build the most complete picture possible. 

Then our AI crunches through it all to give you one simple answer: "Here's what this procedure will likely cost you at this hospital with your insurance." 

Why This Matters to You 

You shouldn't need a PhD in healthcare billing to know what a procedure costs before you schedule it. 

You compare prices for flights, hotels, and even groceries. Why should healthcare be different? 

When you understand what care actually costs - and why - you can: 

• Choose the most affordable option without sacrificing quality 

• Plan financially instead of being surprised by bills 

• Ask informed questions and advocate for yourself 

• Save hundreds or even thousands of dollars 

That $2,675 colonoscopy at one hospital versus $7,431 at another? Both are real prices in Florida. You just need to know where to look. 

We're Just Getting Started 

Right now, Openbook covers 100+ common procedures across Florida hospitals, filtered by your specific insurance plan. 

But we're not stopping there. 

We're adding: 

• More procedures every week 

• More states (which one should we add next?) 

• Quality ratings and patient reviews 

• Features you tell us you need 

Because this tool isn't being built by healthcare executives in a boardroom. It's being built by people who got frustrated trying to answer a simple question: "How much will this cost?" 

The Real Goal 

Transparency isn't just about publishing data nobody can understand. 

Real transparency means you can make informed decisions about your healthcare - just like you do for everything else in your life. 

It means you're empowered, not overwhelmed. 

It means healthcare pricing makes sense. 

That's what we're building at Openbook. 

Try It Yourself 

We're still early, still learning, still improving based on your feedback. 

But the tool works, the data is real, and it might just save you thousands of dollars. 

Compare hospital prices in Florida: app.openbook.health 

Got feedback? Found something confusing? Have ideas for what we should build next? 

We're listening. Drop us a note at pearly@openbook.health or comment below. 

Building in public. Learning as we go. Making healthcare pricing actually transparent—together.