What it is
A public JSON API for US in-network cost estimates and provider network status. No login, no key, no connector. Any agent that can make an HTTPS request can use it, including shared bot templates where recipients install nothing.disclaimer: estimates are never guarantees.
The same endpoints back the
search_care_prices, check_network_status, and get_provider_evidence MCP tools. With an Arlo account token the plan can also come from the patient’s linked insurance records. Without one, the plan comes from planHints only.Start here
1
Read the guide
GET /api/pricing.v1/guide.md is the source of truth for calling the routes and reading every field. The Agent guide page is the same text.2
Pick a service code
GET /api/pricing.v1/catalog lists the supported CPT/HCPCS codes with appliesTo and relatedCodes. There is no free-text service input: the caller chooses the code.3
Ask which insurer
Pass it as
planHints.payerName (or payerName= on GET). GET /api/pricing.v1/payers lists the accepted names.4
Call and relay
search for “what does X cost near me”, network-status first for any named clinic or doctor, provider-evidence for one provider by NPI. Relay disclaimer and any needsMoreInfo asks on every response.Endpoints
The GET forms take flat query parameters (
code, zip, latitude, longitude, radiusKm, limit, providerName, npi, payerName, employerName, planName, groupNumber, planUnavailable).
Example
User-Agent. Requests with a bare HTTP-library agent may be rejected at the edge.
Limits
Anonymous calls are rate limited per IP per minute (search 60, network-status 20, provider-evidence 60) and share a concurrency cap. A 429 carries Retry-After and an error of RATE_LIMITED or BUSY. A 503 PRICING_PUBLIC_DISABLED means anonymous pricing is paused. Discovery routes are cacheable for an hour.
Every response carries X-Arlo-Api-Version and a Link header with rel="service-doc" (the guide) and rel="service-desc" (the OpenAPI document).