I think people are way too scared to just call their doctor's office and ask for a price check.

I had to get a routine blood panel last month. The clinic's website said 'contact us for pricing.' I called, waited on hold for maybe 90 seconds, and a nice person told me it would be $120 without insurance. My friend needed the same thing, saw the same message, and just didn't do it because she thought it would be a huge hassle. She went in blind and got a bill for over $300. It's ten minutes of your time that can save you hundreds. Why do we make this basic thing so hard in our heads?

3 comments

3 Comments

violaramirez3d ago

Seriously, read an article about this, it's called "the hassle factor.

kelly.charlie3d ago

Exactly, and @violaramirez is right about that hassle factor. It's like they make it annoying on purpose so you'll just give up and pay. We really need to push past that little bit of friction because it pays off big time.

wood.faith3d ago

The actual term from that article is "the hassle cliff." It's a specific design choice to make free options just annoying enough.