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Shopping for health care is not like shopping for anything else because consumers are ignorant of the factors that pertain to quality. If my physician tells me that I have an enlarged prostate and need surgery (and not the many other options); how do I choose the surgeon. Will I use price?, a physician rating service?, my insurance company's list of urological surgeons?. I will ask my physician for his recommendation and if he tells me that so and so is the best cutter who uses the most nerve sparing techniques and preserves continence and sexual function for most of his patients. He may not be at the hospital my insurance company prefers, or if I am to pay for it myself as you propose, the least expensive. god willing, I will pay for the best result if possible. The point is that much of what medicine provides is not price sensitive.

Perhaps I could shop for the cheapest place to perform a bi-annual physical ( I'm 72). But for more serious issues I am going to seek the provider/method/medicine that provides the best result.
Dan