Medical charges...

I have received some whopping medical bills this week and would like to voice my opinion on the matter of health care reform~

One of the first things we should do is make what medical providers charge different groups a matter of public record. All that information should be completely transparent. It would be nice to have all costs for every procedure based on state located on a single website (with costs charged to the insured by medical insurance companies and the uninsured costs amongst other costs) so that consumers can know the costs upfront and be able to plan for it now and in the future. On another note, I've always felt that patients should not have to pay as much for a PA as they do a doctor. If you see a PA you should first of all be told up front that you are seeing a PA instead of a doctor and have the chance to opt for seeing the doctor. Also I think you should get a discounted rate when you see a PA. Don't get me wrong, I think PA's can be very skilled and talented, but obviously they did not do as much schooling and don't generally have as much experience. They can't practice without a doctor on site, and all of their charts must be reviewed by a physician etc.