[omonra]

Reading the comments below, I am guessing that most people simply don't understand the terminology you are using. Ie you have to define what are:

1. Public service 2. Lock in a price 3. What are the prices (vs margins) 4. What's a starting price

I understand your question because I get regular bills from my insurance company that say "Doctor usually charges $1,000 for the procedure you had but we have negotiated price $100, so that's what you owe, as you are still below your deductible."

[poorcedure]

As I understand the current system, medical institutions negotiate different prices with every insurance company. They start high and the size of the insurance company's patient pool helps them get better price per service.

It seems weird, because it is weird. I can not think of another industry that works like this, where prices can be unknown until it goes to billing. Forcing them to fix a price and publish it to a government registry could possibly allow market forces to drive lower prices than even the largest insurance companies can negotiate.