Pharos

Know the price before
you go.

Enter your procedure, insurance plan, and zip code. We show you every nearby in-network facility ranked by what they actually charge.

How Pharos works

  1. 1

    Tell us the procedure

    Start typing what your doctor ordered: an MRI, a hip replacement, a lab panel. We match it to the right billing code for you.

  2. 2

    Add your plan and zip

    Pick your insurer and network, then your zip code. No account, no card, no personal details.

  3. 3

    Compare real prices

    See every in-network facility within 50 miles, with the rates for your plan at each one.

How healthcare pricing works

The three numbers behind a procedure

List price

What the facility charges on paper — the chargemaster figure. It’s inflated, and almost no one pays it.

Negotiated rateWhat Pharos shows

What your insurer and that facility have agreed the procedure costs. This is the real price, and the number Pharos shows you.

Your price

What actually comes out of your pocket: the full negotiated rate until you meet your deductible, then your coinsurance percentage after that.

Same procedure, same insurance, different price

Hospital outpatient dept.
$1,200
Imaging center
$500
Independent clinic
$300

Illustrative figures.

The only thing that changed is where you went — and the price swings several times over. Every facility negotiates its own rate, so the lowest price is rarely the obvious choice.

Same procedure, many prices

The same scan, with the same insurance, can cost several times more at one facility than another nearby. Pharos shows you the difference before you go.

Real negotiated rates

We show what your insurer actually pays, drawn from the federal price-transparency files that hospitals and insurers are required to publish.

A research tool, not a product

Pharos is a nonprofit research tool. We collect no personal information and sell nothing, and it is free to use.

Compare prices before you schedule.

No referral needed. No account required.

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