You are soooo right. The insurance companies get the best deal. The rest of us pay for all of the people who have no insurance.(ie, illegal immigrants, drug addicts, and other criminals, who pay not one dime), and because they don't pay it drives up the costs for everyone else.

These fees and other services are all overpriced as to the published rates. An office visit might have three or four different prices depending upon whether it is classified by the doctor as a type 1,2,3,or 4 examination. Dentists charge different if you also go to a specialist (endodontist, etc.).There are many other tricks of the trade that give them enormous flexibility. If they did not have this flexibility, it is possible that the government on medicare would pay them a higher percentage. In other words they charge medicare $200 with hopes of getting $120. Maybe if they charged $120 they would get $120? It is a game.
When President Richard Nixon froze all such prices during his administration , many doctors, etc., got robbed they thought. They felt they were charging the minimum then and got stuck with it for years. When the freeze was lifted, all of these complicated step fees came into existance so that they never again would get stuck.
Fayette Hospital has about 1200 employees for 100 beds occupied only part of the time full. I don't know what they all do but we still complain about poor service anyway. Most things are now handled as out-patient instead of 2-3 days in the hospital. So daily rates have gone from $12 in the sixties to several thousand now, including $10 aspirin and $18 bandages, and stufff unknown.
We have reached the point of socialized medicine due to our taking advantage of those paying the bills.

It does seem logical that in America, all should pay the same for the same. There is one difference however: some don't get the same treatment all the way up the ladder of specialists if they have NO insurance. They are all looked upon as moochers.
However there are very few wealthy people who pay their own way with health and carry no insurance. They didn't get wealthy doing dumb stuff. So, who pays the top dollar? Guess.

The Washington Post tomorrow will have a major article about our treatment of the hordes of wounded out of the middle east wars.
The major military hospitals are full, especially for all of the re-hab that is needed for the severely wounded, physical and mental.
They have rented rat and roach and mold infested old hotels around the area to dump these guys in. More terrible war planning by this current administration.
These stupid people learned absolutely nothing about wars from Viet-Nam.
Our military upper echelon leaders also need serious investigation. They go along with anything the administration says anymore, at least until retired.

Crud: noun, despicible stuff, something bad wrong that is hard to diagnos, filth. infestation of an opening!
I suppose $60 (plus medicine)-- (stump water) would be about right for diagnosing "Crud."
I really don't know about any $60 office visit charges--even at that clinic. You got a bargain or they felt sorry for someone with the crud. Dr. Sams is old enough to know what crud is, I suppose.

I came down with an unexpected back problem it kept me from working. I tried to get to an orthopedic but they were full for 2 weeks I could not go that long without working. I called Autera Health Center, they took me the same day took an X ray, did physical therapy on my back which felt great. Then Dr. Autera (man he is a big guy) came in and twisted me and my back felt like it cracked from head to toe, but after all my apprehension I walked out feeling better the next day I was back at work. Even better the clinic only charged me 95 dollars. A great experience back to work for little money.

Agreed.