By John Solomon
How the government's punishing of the exposure of official wrongdoing can linger for years
Want to know how much a hip replacement will cost? Many hospitals won't be able to tell you, at least not right away _ if at all. And if you shop around and find centers that can quote a price, the amounts could vary astronomically, a study found.
Many hospitals "are just completely unprepared" for cost questions, said Jaime Rosenthal, a Washington University student who co-authored the report.
