That is false. You will typically get a 10% or 15% cash discount from the hospital ticket price. Still easily 3x what an insurance company would negotiate for y

That is false. You will typically get a 10% or 15% cash discount from the hospital ticket price. Still easily 3x what an insurance company would negotiate for you. Some hospitals allow you to fill out extensive paperwork to apply to have greater bill reductions, and you need to send in several years of tax returns, bank statements, a personal financial statement, an explanation of your situation and why you can't pay in full, etc. It's a grueling, paperwork intensive, and invasive process.