I'd be happy to pay out of pocket if I could get the same rates the insurance companies pay.

My wife went into the hospital unexpectedly for a major but undiagnosed problem.
Healthcare policies generally require preapproval before hospital admission.

Four days later, she was still in the hospital, I got the EOB letter from the insurance company. They refused coverage, saying that her labs & tests did not indicate a problem. No elevated white blood count, no fever, etc. It seemed that they thought she was in for appendicitis, but she had none of the markers.

I spoke to the hospital's Floor Case Manager who said, "Don't worry, we work with them. In any case, if they won't cover you we will not charge you any more than you would have to pay if they did cover you."


“If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it's free.” - PJ O'Rourk