[jtbayly]

Nope. Those are the prices that they start with that your insurance claims they negotiated down to 50% or whatever on your bill from insurance for your copay.

You can see the problem. Both the hospital and the insurance company are incentivized to keep that number artificially high.

[toomuchtodo]

They (hospitals, out of network specialists) are also under no obligation to negotiate with you. You are on the hook for whatever your insurance refuses to pay, which can be substantial regardless of what your deductible is.

They might negotiate with you, but they might not, in which case you are at the mercy of whatever your state's creditor laws are. Florida? Great laws protecting your primary residence and wages from garnishment if you're head of household. Missouri? Not so much.

[jtbayly]

Too true.