If you read the recent Time cover story about medical costs, you'll see examples of people being recursively double-billed for items, at least according to the

If you read the recent Time cover story about medical costs, you'll see examples of people being recursively double-billed for items, at least according to the Medicare guidelines. e.g., and my memory's a little fuzzy on the specifics, but I believe one case was being billed for the operating room, then billed for the prep kit (which is supposed to be included in the room charge), then billed for every individual item in the prep kit. If I hire a contractor to do something and he charges $X/hour, I don't expect him to mark up the materials he might use, too. I'm already paying for his time and expertise. I shouldn't also be paying the drywall for his expertise.