Health care is a long way from the easy-to-use price comparisons of the travel industry, but help is on the way. Two Michigan hospital systems — Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids and Oakwood Healthcare System in Dearborn — are leaders in posting hundreds of prices as well as quality measurements on their Web sites.

Earlier this month, the Michigan Health & Hospital Association also began posting charges and average payments for 50 common procedures for Medicare patients. One tip: Charges or sticker prices are often twice what insurance plans pay for hospital care. If you don’t have insurance, try to negotiate a lower payment.