Anecdote: My son broke his arm when I was between jobs and had no insurance. The doctor had an x-ray machine on premise, but he admitted to me that his costs

Anecdote: My son broke his arm when I was between jobs and had no insurance. The doctor had an x-ray machine on premise, but he admitted to me that his costs for it were high and that I could get a better price at the imaging place across the street. Once there, when I explained my lack of insurance, I was told that not paying up front adds $75 because billing is a PITA. Even though an insurer might be able to negotiate a good rate, they can't beat cash on the barrel head because cash pay doesn't require nearly as much work.