When North Bend mom Katie Kyser moved to the Valley from southern California, she had lost her health insurance. Searching for needed medical services, she was able to use a free consumer Web site called PriceDoc to find health choices that met her budget.

When her daughter turns a year old, Katie plans to use PriceDoc to search for a pediatrician.

PriceDoc.com is a free Web site where consumers who are uninsured, underinsured or seeking elective procedures can compare and negotiate prices for healthcare procedures or services in their area. With PriceDoc, consumers can identify local providers, review credentials and patient referrals and find competitive pricing for high-quality healthcare.

By advertising their services and prices on PriceDoc, healthcare providers gain access to “cash-paying” patients who optimize their office scheduling, secure fees for service and offer cash payments that reduce paperwork and overhead costs.

PriceDoc enables patients to view doctors in their area who are willing to provide fee reductions for cash or credit card payments. Competition between doctors creates better prices for patients who are more control of their own healthcare decisions.

The service is aimed at providing consumers with the resources to investigate, evaluate and compare a provider’s practice location, practice specialty, experience and other relevant qualifications before choosing to proceed.

PriceDoc requires providers to input accurate information with regard to their education, licensures, certifications, hospital affiliations and contact information. Users can link to the State Department of Health to investigate more detailed information that is updated daily.

To learn more about the service, visit www.pricedoc.com.