Answer #1 - because they can be. The hospitals start with a super-high base price, then negotiate it down with each individual insurer. So what I would pay as someone with private insurance and what my husband would pay as someone with Medicare are totally different numbers.

Answer #2 - Lawsuits. The costs that the hospital has to pay THEIR insurance company to cover them in case they're sued is outrageous. Those costs have to be reclaimed somehow.

Answer #3 - Corporate greed. Especially if it is a for-profit hospital, the amount that funnels to the top salaries is ridiculous. That trickles down to the not-for-profit ones, too, because if they want top talent, they have to pay commensurate salaries.