Doctors aren't the schemers here. When a doctor submits a claim to your insurance for let's say $500 what he gets back is a magic and opaque number. His only ch

Doctors aren't the schemers here. When a doctor submits a claim to your insurance for let's say $500 what he gets back is a magic and opaque number. His only choice is take it, or don't accept your insurance. For programs like medicaid this number is often a tiny fraction of what was charged, which is why some doctors or hospitals simply will not accept it. If you pay in cash at a doctor you'll often pay a much more reasonable price, and that's because they're not at the whims of insurance companies who incentivize them to charge as much as they possibly can.