> It's important to realize that what private insurance is billed is the same as what uninsured/self-pay patients are billed, but what private insurance pays i

> It's important to realize that what private insurance is billed is the same as what uninsured/self-pay patients are billed, but what private insurance pays is negotiated rates that are often pretty close to what Medicare is paying. There's a certain level of shell game going on in there. Yes, private insurers don't pay entirely what they're billed. Though they still pay significantly more than Medicare pays. The negotiated agreements between private insurers and hospitals are almost always pegged at multiples of Medicare (e.g. "200% or 350% of Medicare rates for $X service").