Medical expenses

Re the Nov. 3 story Miami lawmaker pushes bill to ban unexpected medical fees: This is how the Legislature should deal with Rep. Carlos Trujillo’s proposal: If I take my car in for a repair, I get to authorize the scope of work with an estimate. When I go to a medical professional or hospital, I need to agree to pay anything not covered by insurance companies. Strange, isn’t it?

For starters the providers need to give you a statement that identifies whether they are or are not in your network. If yes, they need to state your maximum co-payment for the visit or procedure. If no, they should give you a price, like for everything else we buy. Hospitals should give you an estimate so you know maximum exposure. Problem solved. Good old-fashioned shopping in a previously shadowy store.

This story was originally published November 6, 2015 at 6:41 PM with the headline "Medical expenses."