Call Kurtis: The Best Health Care Costs

How many times have you gone into the doctor's office, knowing exactly how much you'll pay for treatment? Probably not very often.

Going to the doctor's office doesn't have to be a gamble. We've learned how to get the best price on your next doctor's visit.

Fifteen-year-old Dustin Davis, like millions of other California students can't attend school this year without getting the newly required Tdap vaccine, protecting against Whooping Cough, Tetanus and Diphtheria.

"We have to pay a $20 copay and then I figured after that the insurance should pick up the rest of the bill," says Dustin's dad, Roy Davis.

Roy says a month after Dustin got the shot at his doctor's office his insurance company billed him $214, saying it wasn't covered.

"Oh, I thought that was a lot," says Roy.

It turns out his insurance doesn't cover vaccines for kids over the age of two. Had he asked ahead of time, his doctor should have been able to tell him whether the shot was covered.

"Patients absolutely should know how much their care costs before they get treated. Every patient has that right," says Jeffrey J. Rice, M.D., J.D.

Dr. Rice runs HealthCareBlueBook.com. The site lists what it says are fair prices for health care services.

"I've seen patients charged way too much for healthcare," says Rice.

The company scans billing information to come up with the average price for that procedure in your area. Entering Roy's zip code, the site says the Tdap vaccine, should cost $30 per dose at a doctor's office in his area or $67 at a walk-in clinic. But Roy was charged $214.

"There are very big price differences between different hospitals and different providers. Sometimes up to four or five times higher," says Rice.

Had Roy looked into it ahead of time he could've used this information to negotiate a lower price with his own doctor or another provider. Now, when Roy calls up, he's finding it's too late.

"No way! They said not even a penny," says Roy.

Dr. Rice also says offering to pay cash might lower the price you pay. We contacted Roy's medical group. They say if he asked, they would have told him whether the vaccine was covered.