Pre-Calculating the cost of my next op

Okay, it looks like I'm going to have another operation sometime soon here.  This time I am determined to find out how expensive this procedure will be ahead of time.  How much will I be paying out of pocket?  If there is any legitimacy to our health care system, I should be able to figure that number out.

Here's my plan of attack:

* Call provider where service will take place to find out cost of procedure.

* Call Doctor who ordered the test and see whether I should expect any other bills for this op.

* Call insurance to see how they would negotiate that, etc.  Have them help me determine final cost, from deductible, max out-of-pocket, etc.

This seems like a huge hassle, but I'm very curious to know just how difficult it is... assuming I can get a straight answer at each of these steps.