It's straight greed on every level... Providers and hospitals will bill the absolute maximum allowed for each item and they track everything extensively. Insura

It's straight greed on every level... Providers and hospitals will bill the absolute maximum allowed for each item and they track everything extensively. Insurance companies do their hardest to find literally any excuse to not cover claims, while also barely fulfilling their contractual obligations to members. Unfortunately, hospitals will never be able to consolidate or pass-thru bills from all providers, because admins would want a cut of the amount paid, plus they would know what everyone is charging and use that info strategically. So no provider in their right mind would go for it. Sending bills directly cuts out any middleman and increase their margins.