[Fishtalk]

Oh no no....we had a private insurance plan and they didn’t pay anywhere near that much.

Still, they charged $260,000.

Don’t know what the insurance paid and it sounds like $400 was a fair cost for your wife. But they charged $7000?

Something really wrong with this system.

[Steven Tyler]

Medical Tourism!
Canadians have a choice between suffering in a medical care lineup, or going out of Country and paying out of pocket to obtain medical care.
Canadians go to the US or, for less costly treatment, Costa Rica and India.

You may want to consider Medical Tourism for some types of medical procedures

[Bernard]

Everybody gets billed at full, or standard, rate. What everybody pays is based on agreements between the health care provider and the insurance carrier. And what is allowed to be billed is built into the contract as well.

And the reason for all of this is Medicare and government involvement/regulation/interference in the medical business. Then mix in state regulations based on local good intentions, eligibility rules, and it's a real melting pot.