[jmyeet]

No, it’s the opposite actually. There are a couple of reasons why:

1. You have a deductible. Insurance is incentivized to make things more expensive so you don’t use it. With a $10,000 deductible, are you going to pay $500 for a service outside insurance or $2,000 with insurance?

2. Hospitals really have no idea what anything costs. Nobody does. There is a maze if agreements between providers, contractors, hospitals and insurance companies. If you have insurance, hospitals are more likely to throw out a higher random number;

3. There is more process and paperwork for the hospital with insurance; and

4. You are more likely to be able to negotiate down a bill without insurance.