We’ve been going through a health scare with my 13-year-old daughter, Elizabeth. Out of nowhere, she started having fainting spells, and a preliminary doctor’s visit couldn’t pinpoint their cause. Her pediatrician recommended an EKG to rule out heart issues, and, of course, I immediately got to work scheduling it, because my child needed it.

I had to find out how much money this test would cost us out-of-pocket, as finances are tight right now and I need to plan ahead for such unforeseen expenses. But our insurance company won’t disclose that information. After we diligently pay over $700 a month for our premium, a $25-$50 copay each time we see the doctor, and extra charges for in-office tests, our insurance still refuses to reveal its "contracted rate" for a procedure before we receive it. Their only answer to my question of how much it would cost was "20% after your deductible is met." But how much is an EKG? Is it $200 or $2,000? I guess I’ll only know when the bill arrives in the mail.

This policy robs citizens of their ability to plan and save for necessary medical procedures. It needs to change. I am calling on the US Congress to require health insurance companies to reveal the cost of procedures before treatment is received.

The fact that the final cost will be an unwelcome surprise is simply unfair. People struggle in this economy to provide basic necessities for their family. Hundreds of thousands of people in this country have unpaid medical bills. We don't buy ANYTHING without knowing the cost beforehand, but we’re expected to blindly "purchase" medical tests, procedures, and surgeries without having even a ballpark sense of their price?

This is clearly a matter of profit-over-people, and insurance companies must be called out on it.

Please join me in calling on Congress to address this issue that affects thousands of families like mine, and require up-front disclosure of medical procedure costs by all insurance companies.

Thank you.