As employers increasingly seek to encourage people to look for lower-cost medical services, workers will need to know what their medical services cost. According to a survey by Harris Interactive for employee benefits provider Great-West Healthcare, 68% of respondents did not know the cost of treatment until it was received and 11% said they never learned the cost. Respondents guessed that a routine doctor's office visit costs $95, when it typically costs $200. For emergency department visits, respondents estimated average costs of $680, when the actual costs totaled $400, according to the poll.

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