This is a bit of a feedback loop - jack up prices to cover those who can't pay, now more people with bad/no insurance can't afford to pay, rinse and repeat. And

This is a bit of a feedback loop - jack up prices to cover those who can't pay, now more people with bad/no insurance can't afford to pay, rinse and repeat. And it's not just ER prices, the whole medical industry in the US is overpriced - even offices whose patients all have good insurance will still charge large amounts, and of course drug makers still raise prices well after recouping R&D.