from Hacker News

Hospital Chain Said to Scheme to Inflate Bills

by jejune06 on 1/25/14, 7:21 AM with 14 comments

• by jostmey on 1/25/14, 9:07 PM

  Have you ever tried to get a quote before having a procedure done? I tried to get a quote for a CAT-Scan once. No one could estimate the cost of the procedure, even though there was a fixed cost associated with the equipment. How can free-market forces drive down costs when the costs are kept hidden from the customer?

• by mschuster91 on 1/25/14, 8:17 AM

  ...which is why public service infrastructure needs to be in government hands. The free market just messes it up.

• by Mikeb85 on 1/25/14, 10:14 AM

  This is the inevitable outcome of any business where insurance pays the bill.

  Auto body shops are the same way...