Marty Makary on Shopping for Care and Cash Prices: recommends

Dr. Marty Makary recommends that patients ask what a procedure will cost upfront and compare the cash price with what their insurance would be billed. In his September 28, 2026 lecture at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress, he cited his research finding that negotiated insurance prices exceed cash prices in 65% of cases.

Makary’s stated reasoning is that the insurance billing system routinely produces prices higher than what a provider would accept in cash, so patients who ask the question — “what would this cost if I paid cash?” — can often pay less. He frames this as practical empowerment in a system where opaque billing works against the patient.

He presents shopping for care as an individual complement to his broader campaign for posted hospital prices: transparency works best when patients actually use the information.

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