Do You Take Cash? Cash Anyone?

Some of the most frustrating experiences I’ve had with the health care system involve cash. At a visit to a physician’s office, when I was checking out, I was asked if I was using insurance to pay for the visit. When I asked why, the billing clerk responded that if I was paying cash, the fee would be far less than the fee they would charge if billing my insurance company. Another time, I was trying to arrange physical therapy services for a family member who had exhausted the limit covered by her health plan. After talking to . . .