This article denounces the artificially inflated, multi-tiered pricing scheme that permeates the health care system; but instead of accurately attributing the problem to cost-shifting and to preferential arrangements with government payers and insurance companies, it charges that CASH CUSTOMERS are getting an unfair benefit at the expense of health insurance companies! The premise of the article, I think, is that the "preferential" treatment of cash payers is unfairly burdening those with insurance and must be stopped.

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Unknown to most consumers, many hospitals and physicians offer steep discounts for cash-paying patients regardless of income. But there's a catch: Typically you can get the lowest price only if you don't use your health insurance.

That disparity in pricing is coming under fire from people like Snyder, who say it's unfair for patients who pay hefty insurance premiums and deductibles to be penalized with higher rates for treatment.

That used to be true: cash payers got lower prices. But it hasn't been true in at least a decade. Maybe the LA Times reporter entered a time warp to the early 90's and made a discovery.

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That used to be true: cash payers got lower prices. But it hasn't been true in at least a decade. Maybe the LA Times reporter entered a time warp to the early 90's and made a discovery.

Since when has the truth ever been a consideration by the LA Times?

cash makes good financial sense for the care provider. Guaranteed payment plus no ****ing hassles of filing and the employee to file, follow up, refile and wait 90 days for payment if you are lucky.

yup cash would do wonders for reducing the cost of health care on a cost basis. However, this does not cover catastrophic very well

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yup cash would do wonders for reducing the cost of health care on a cost basis. However, this does not cover catastrophic very well

You could get catastrophic-only insurance and pay cash for the rest. Oh wait, Obamacare was expressly designed to prevent that because it would put the kibosh on any cost shifting games.