Health care providers charge individuals paying privately as much as 2 to 3 times the amount they charge insurance companies.
Under anti-trust laws, you are not supposed to charge different prices for the same service unless the difference is clearly due to a cost difference. However, since insurance companies don't normally decide on the specific provider, it is still the individual deciding, and there is no discernible difference in marketing costs. Therefore the price should be the same.
What has happened is that many insurance companies agree to put you in their network if you will agree to charge them 50% of your standard prices. So providers, wanting to be in the insurance networks agree, and double their standard prices in order to get a fair return from the insurance company.
This is discrimnatory and should not be allowed.
Comments (1)
I wish those voting against this would post a comment as to why they are against it. And whether they have are employed or have financial ties to the insurance companies.