The reference case for opting out of fiat insurance in surgical care. Opened in 1997 by Dr. Keith Smith and Dr. Steven Lantier, the Oklahoma City facility bills no insurance carrier and no government program, and it publishes an all-in price for every operation it performs — one bundled number covering the facility, the surgeon and the anesthesiologist, payable in advance. Over half its patients travel from out of state to use it, which is the whole argument in one statistic.
What the prices actually look like: arthroscopic rotator cuff repair $9,682; cataract surgery $4,800 per side; knee arthroscopy $4,458; inguinal hernia repair $3,870. A $250 consultation fee is charged separately and is retained if surgery turns out not to be indicated, and quotes hold for sixty days. Read the asterisks: the published figures exclude implants and hardware, diagnostics, and overnight stays, so orthopedic work in particular will not come to the sticker number.
One correction worth making, because the internet has this wrong: the Surgery Center is widely described as a Bitcoin-accepting provider. It is not, currently. Dr. Smith wrote about his willingness to take bitcoin in 2013 and 2014, and those posts are still on the site, but the payment methods listed on the current FAQ are cash, cashier’s check, and credit or debit card. This listing qualifies on the insurance opt-out and on transparent pricing, not on bitcoin.
Allies are screened on sound-money criteria only — cash price, no billing office, no insurance dependency. We do not evaluate clinical quality, and a listing is not a medical recommendation.