Letters: Why do we let hospitals gouge us?

My recent experience at Lexington Medical Center has convinced me that hospitals are, first and foremost, money-making machines bordering on exploitation. My insurance carrier was charged more than $15,000 for a non-surgical outpatient procedure, of which a significant amount was charged to me. A more complex, invasive outpatient procedure for the same problem at a Charleston-area hospital was billed for less than half only a few months later.

Why do we put up with this, when we throw a fit about nearly any other money-related matter? I’m happy and willing to pay for whatever services I use, but it strikes me as perverse that a hospital can bill such huge amounts. How convenient that (astronomical) prices are only revealed at the very end, subsequent to check-out.

Imagine such a thing occurring when you’re out shopping for essentials at WalMart. Unfathomable, yes?

I cannot speak to the rest of Columbia-area hospitals, but I certainly know one I will recommend against for all future medical needs.

This story was originally published October 15, 2015 at 2:18 PM.