Medical price shopping hits Web in Minnesota

A Web tool in Minnesota is offering healthcare shoppers a glimpse into what insurance companies pay on average for 103 common medical procedures, Gov. Tim Pawlenty announced. The 110 providers included in the comparison tool provide about 85% of the primary care in Minnesota. More providers and procedures are expected to be added. The tool shows wide disparities in prices, officials noted, although the new system was a bit slow and balky, and some comparisons were not coming up online.