[datavirtue]

You are way off base. The original WSJ article has links to other articles detailing how hospitals merge themselves into a monopoly that has to be accepted by the insurer. The hospital sets the prices. They also go into how these large hospital systems gobble up doctors offices and use the same leverage to increase prices and tack exhoribiant fees--just like the experience of the person you are replying to.

[_57jb]

Not off base at all. Their description of the perverse incentives was very accurate.

I had worked as an engineer and was closely aligned to the fraud division for one of the larger insurers some time ago.

[carbocation]

I mean, you are both pointing out things that exist, are happening, and are problematic.