SEATTLE - Price should be the last thing anyone thinks about when heading to the hospital, but it's becoming a reality for many consumers.

Barb Matteson has spent 22 years at the Pike Place Market selling her handmade designer jewelry. She and her husband Robert - who is a diabetic - are self-employed and uninsured, earning just a little too much to receive state-subsidized health care.

So when Barb opens her medical bills, it hurts.

"I was shocked to get the bottom line of $810 for lab work, not for the mammogram or the doctor's visit, that was just lab work," Barb Matteson said.

Since the Mattesons can't afford the $800 a month for insurance, they need to find health care deals. It's easier said than done.

The KING 5 Investigators called hospitals and checked pricing data from the Washington State Hospital Association for the state's most common procedures.

The results? The difference in cost can vary by thousands of dollars from one hospital to another.

Some hospitals requested a code for the procedure before they would quote a price. Others offer a discount to patients who pay cash up front or within 30 days, but they didn't always volunteer that information to the Investigators.

Finally, the prices quoted here are for hospital services only. They don't include what the doctors, surgeons or anesthesiologists charge.

Childbirth

So what's the hospital charge for child birth?

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Swedish Hospital delivers more babies than any other hospital in the state, but it also charges the most for the procedure.

For a normal delivery, Skagit County's Island Hospital charges the least – $3,500. Evergreen Hospital in Kirkland comes in at $5,600. Capital Medical Center in Olympia charges $7,500. Tacoma General in Tacoma charges $8,400.

The most expensive is Swedish Hospital in Seattle, at $9,800. Swedish delivers more babies than any other hospital in the state. The Washington State Hospital Association says that expertise may cost consumers extra.

"The number of procedures is interesting information because there is quite a bit of evidence that shows the more procedures a hospital does generally the higher the quality," said Cassie Sauer, a spokesperson.

Cardiac catheter

A cardiac catheter is a procedure where a tube is inserted into a vein so doctors can check out the heart.

The cost ranges from a low of $7,400 at Group Health in Redmond to $35,000 at Tacoma General, and that's $15,000 more than the state average.

Group Health's costs are so low in part because you must be covered by them to get treated in their facility.

"So if the hospital has a higher number of folks with no insurance their prices will be higher," Sauer said.

That's why Tacoma General is saddled with rising labor costs, bad debt and free care for the needy.

MRIs

Our third test: MRIs.

A lower back image ranged from $1,270 at TRA Medical Imaging Center in Tacoma, to $4,100 at Swedish.

Consumers wising up

Chrissy Yamada, the chief financial officer for Evergreen Healthcare, says consumers are wising up and asking tough questions when it comes to pricing.

"We've certainly seen more action by consumers calling in and asking what prices Evergreen charges for certain services," she said.

For the most part, consumers with health insurance will not pay these high charges because insurers cut volume deals with hospitals. But now even those with health insurance can feel the pinch.

"I think the higher deductibles and higher out of pocket deductibles are forcing patients to become more educated about their healthcare and shop around," Yamada said.

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Barb Matteson and her husband are self employed and uninsured, earning just a little too much to receive state-subsidized healthcare. So when Barb opens her medical bills, it hurts.

Experts say if hospitals and insurers make more pricing information available to consumers, medical costs could drop.

Until then, Barb and Robert will hammer away at their hospital bills - unsure of their financial fate.

"Instead of a Christmas fund I have a colonoscopy fund that I save $100 a month," Barb Matteson said. "So every three years I can have a colonoscopy. Doesn't that sound like fun?"

The best tip for shopping around: Ask for a cash discount or see if you qualify for financial assistance.

Swedish Medical Center says it provides highly experienced providers and exceptional nursing care all while trying to meet the needs of the entire community.

Tacoma General says it sees sicker patients who need specialized care, so their costs are going to be higher.