The other day, I attempted to ship a gift to my niece. She loves tea and I had found an adorable four-cup teapot that I knew she would just love. The shipping office told me they would be unable to tell me how much it would cost until they sent the package, so I gave them a blank check and waited for the bill to arrive.
Five months later, I received a bill for $22,635! Obviously, I called the shipping office for an explanation. They said it required a team of silkworms to weave a silk-sailed ship to cross a major river. Contracting the silk-worm vendor, together with additional fees for waterproofing my package, explained the outrageous shipping costs.
Obviously, this is satire, but that is exactly how patients feel when they are asked to sign a contract with no quoted price. In fact, healthcare providers cannot quote a final price until months after the service is delivered.
I cannot think of any other industry where asking for a blank check is the norm.
By Gayle Porter
