FORGET all the associated healthcare price factors, such as:
Region
Cost of living, population health trends, availability of doctors, and the number of insurers in region can affect costs between states and cities.
Insurance
Insurance companies negotiate with hospitals and doctors to set pricing for their members, therefore uninsured patients end up paying more.
Network
Doctors and hospitals outside of an insurer’s network don’t offer the same negotiated discounts to patients.
Provider
Specialists are more expensive than primary care providers because of their highly specialized fields. Higher price does not mean better quality care.
Facility
Operating costs typically make hospital care more expensive than ambulatory surgical centers.