As the Affordable Care Act’s open enrollment window opens for 2027 coverage, the Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF) is steering shoppers toward a different kind of health care bargain — one that bypasses insurance entirely. The free resource, released November 1 in St. Paul, Minnesota, maps out how patients can locate independent providers and negotiate cash prices for everything from lab work to surgery.
New resource shows how to find less expensive doctors and coverage
“Open enrollment asks Americans to pick the corporate health plan that will decide their care,” said Twila Brase, RN, PHN, CCHF President and Co-Founder. “Patients have another option. They can find affordable coverage outside of a health plan and use our guide to find far more affordable prices for care.”
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The Cash-Pay Resources guide compiles directories of independent doctors, dentists, and specialists. It also highlights direct primary care practices, which typically charge $50 to $100 per month for access to a physician. Additional sections cover cash-pay alternatives for lab tests, prescriptions, imaging, and surgery, plus guidance on finding hospital pricing and charitable assistance programs.
A striking example in the guide underscores the potential savings. Keith Smith, MD, co-founder of the Surgery Center of Oklahoma (SCO), is cited describing a hospital that initially quoted an uninsured Georgia man $40,000 for prostate surgery. After the patient found a $3,600 cash price at SCO, the hospital offered to match it.
“Cash-based pricing drives down the cost of care for patients who take time to find it,” said Brase. “Our guide provides patients with a tool to locate affordable prices in health care.”
The guide is available for free download, and CCHF is offering interviews with Brase through Alexandra de Scheel at media@cchfreedom.org.
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About Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom: Since 1998, CCHF has worked to protect patient and doctor freedom. The national, independent, non-partisan, non-profit health freedom organization takes a patient-centered, privacy-focused, free-market stance. More information is available at www.cchfreedom.org.
Alexandra de Scheel
Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom
media@cchfreedom.org
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Why it matters: With ACA premiums and deductibles continuing to climb, the guide gives consumers a concrete alternative: direct payment for care, often at a fraction of the cost. For families and individuals weighing their options this enrollment season, cash-pay pricing may offer a meaningful counterweight to traditional insurance plans.
