Insurance, location can influence cost of medical procedures

Dear Dr. Roach: Is there a way to determine the average cost for certain medical procedures in a specific location? For instance, a colonoscopy? I know some health insurance policies cover it, but when your policy doesn’t, what is the best way to see what the costs would be? Is it something someone should shop around for? — K.

Answer: If health care were like anything else, there would be an understanding, before performing a procedure, what the out-of-pocket costs to the patient would be. Unfortunately, in the United States, it’s not that simple.