$300? I can believe that. It is a fool's wager to ever underestimate what could be charged for the most mundane things at a hospital. OK, two examples of how t

$300? I can believe that. It is a fool's wager to ever underestimate what could be charged for the most mundane things at a hospital. OK, two examples of how this could happen: A few years ago I was charged $500 for a 1 meter length of IV tubing to connect a saline bag to my IV line. That was the Obamacare "negotiated price" -- it was substantially higher before this "negotiation" though I don't recall precisely, I remember thinking I don't spend that much on food for a month. When my daughter was young, we took her to the ER due to a particularly severe sore throat. A nurse sweetly asked my daughter if she was thirsty (yes). Nurse went to the soda machine across the hall, selected a ginger ale, poured a bit of it into a small paper cup (disposing of 2/3rds of the drink) and handed it to my daughter. We got the bill a month later. Line item "Glucose - $30" Medical care is completely, utterly broken in the USA. For those who doubt, just try asking what something will cost before it happens. I'll leave you to discover the punch line for yourself.