That's the bizarre aspect of the cost-shifting that goes on in medicine today. Here's an actual example.
A minor out-patient operation that entailed less than three hours of time in the hospital from entry to exit results in a $13,420 bill.
Blue Cross allows $1,680 with a $11,740 contract discount.
If you are a cash patient, you can negotiate a 50% discount cash discount if you pay 25% up-front and pay the balance over time. This means a cash patient pays $1,677.50 now, or $2.50 less than Blue Cross would have paid - and you also get to pay an additional $5,032.50 over time, or $5,030 more than Blue Cross pays.
Of course if you do not make arrangements for an up-front cash payment, you will be billed for the full $13,420.
And this does not include the cost of the anesthesiologist, the surgeon, or pre-surgical labs - another $1,500.00 or so.
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