The problem is the insurance+hospital industrial complex. The insurance companies will negotiate this down on your behalf. They basically operate on fear of walking into a hospital and getting a 6-figure bill.
My SO had to take a medevac helicopter once: we got a $65k bill just for the 20-minute helicopter ride which suddenly became under $4k with insurance. The discount made me feel like I was getting a deal, so I gladly paid.
My SO had to take a medevac helicopter once: we got a $65k bill just for the 20-minute helicopter ride which suddenly became under $4k with insurance. The discount made me feel like I was getting a deal, so I gladly paid.