If you walk in off the street and dont have insurance, you arent seen. They will give you the location of a nearby "free clinic". The only place that will see you is the ER and even then, its not that price.
The $15 for tylenol is the rate they list as "retail". When your insurance "knocks it down" to $1, they then us that data to boast to companies to join their plan because they saved as a total average 50% (or whatever).
Now, lets say you fell and broke a hip and went to the ER and got treated without insurance. They send you a bill with these "retail rates" as they are contractually required to do (because the insurance companies want things to seem extremely expensive, remember). But then you call and go "I make $12 a month sucking quarters out of vending machines, lets setup a super low payment!" They will and are required to take $5/month forever and never collect on those bills. And, if you are savvy enough to complain about $15 for your pill, they'll take 30-50% off on the phone - usually without even the theater of talking to a manager.
This is like a store having a TV for $100, then raising it to $150 the 45 days before boxing day and then advertising the "33% discount" for the holiday when it's $99.99. The tv was never $150, except to a few idiots who bought on from November 15 to December 25.
Those numbers are fake and no one pays them.
If you walk in off the street and dont have insurance, you arent seen. They will give you the location of a nearby "free clinic". The only place that will see you is the ER and even then, its not that price.
The $15 for tylenol is the rate they list as "retail". When your insurance "knocks it down" to $1, they then us that data to boast to companies to join their plan because they saved as a total average 50% (or whatever).
Now, lets say you fell and broke a hip and went to the ER and got treated without insurance. They send you a bill with these "retail rates" as they are contractually required to do (because the insurance companies want things to seem extremely expensive, remember). But then you call and go "I make $12 a month sucking quarters out of vending machines, lets setup a super low payment!" They will and are required to take $5/month forever and never collect on those bills. And, if you are savvy enough to complain about $15 for your pill, they'll take 30-50% off on the phone - usually without even the theater of talking to a manager.
This is like a store having a TV for $100, then raising it to $150 the 45 days before boxing day and then advertising the "33% discount" for the holiday when it's $99.99. The tv was never $150, except to a few idiots who bought on from November 15 to December 25.
It's a racket. Insurance companies are the reason for $50 tongue-depressors.
What you're describing is proof of it being a racket.
Yes. It's one of the many rackets approved and enforced by the American government.