A good start, but shopping around is hard, if not impossible. I always try to do it when getting care in the states, and more often than not the person you're talking to has no idea what they charge, or else won't discuss it without having the doctor's orders in hand first. ("How much does a chest x-ray cost?" "We'll assess costs after the doctor orders some tests." "But how do I know if I want to see the doctor at this hospital if I don't know how much everything costs?")

Worse is the case of emergencies or worry, when you have other things on your mind than shopping around and possibly spending days or weeks slogging through the internet for lists of doctor and test center phone numbers. In that case you're literally trapped into paying whatever they demand.

In either case the system is absolutely monstrous and everyone involved (except, of course, the doctors and nurses) should be ashamed of themselves.