> But it is ultimately the doctor who decides which services you end up getting (like a chef deciding which dishes you will be served). As a result, you can compare upfront out-of-pocket costs specific to your insurance and book a provider without worrying about surprise bills.

This is the problem though. 9/10 when I get a surprise bill, it's because the hospital tacked on billing codes. So unless your model can spit out a likelihood that a clinic is going to classify an ear cleaning as a surgery, it will not prevent the worst surprise bills.

You should also include cash-price options. Since switching to an HSA, I have saved tons of money. Some hospitals even have across the board 60% discounts for cash. Pretty often the cash price can be lower than the out-of-pocket expenses when going through insurance! And I have never yet gotten a surprise bill when I settle the bills immediately.