Common questions
If something here is unclear, that's on us, not you. Please tell us.
Is this a quote from my insurance company?
No. It's an estimate built from prices hospitals publish and the plan numbers you enter. It isn't a coverage decision, a promise of price or a bill. Only your insurer can confirm what's covered and what you'd owe.
Where do the prices come from?
From the price files hospitals must publish under federal price transparency rules. We read the files for three real Los Angeles hospitals and use the actual dollar amounts each insurer agreed to. Each of those figures links to its source file and shows the date the hospital last updated it.
Why is there a range instead of one number?
A hospital doesn't have one price. It has a separate allowed amount, the total an insurer agreed to pay, with every insurer. We can't tell which one applies to your plan. So the range uses the low end (10th percentile), the middle (median) and the high end (90th percentile) of the amounts that hospital publishes for that procedure code. It's a real spread of prices, not a guess about our own accuracy.
Which facilities are real?
Three: Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center, and Long Beach Memorial Medical Center. The other nine are fictional. They're there so comparing and filtering have enough to work with. Every price has a tag showing which kind it is, on every screen.
Why won't it estimate out-of-network care?
Out of network means the provider has no contract with your plan. What you'd owe then depends on your plan's out-of-network allowed amount and whether the provider bills you for the difference. Neither shows up in public data. We'd rather tell you that plainly than show a number that looks sure and is wrong.
Does the estimate include the doctor?
No. Hospital files cover facility charges only. Every estimate lists the doctor, anaesthesia and pathology as separate bills you may get. We don't attach made-up dollar amounts to them.
Do you have my data?
No. There's no account, no server storing anything, and no analytics on what you type. Your profile and saved estimates stay in your own browser's local storage, on the device you used. Clearing your browsing data deletes them permanently.
Why are there no reviews or ratings?
We have no quality data, so any rating would be made up. For quality, try Medicare Care Compare, and ask your doctor where they'd send a family member.
What isn't covered?
Emergency care, inpatient stays, maternity, mental health, prescriptions, dental, Medicare Advantage and Medicaid specifics, out-of-network care, and prior authorisation (when your plan must approve care in advance). The site covers six scheduled outpatient procedures in Los Angeles County, and nothing else.
Can I trust the math?
You can check it. The calculation runs separately from the screens you see, and it has a public set of tests. They cover the deductible, coinsurance, the out-of-pocket cap, copays, self-pay, invalid inputs and unsupported coverage. The tests are on this site and show their results live.