And that's just the 5th to 95th percentile. The full range of prices for a comprehensive metabolic panel was was $35 to $7303. Yep, that's a 209-fold difference. Where else can you be charged 209 times more for the same test at different facilities? Even auto mechanics don't vary that much!
The authors conclude: These findings demonstrate the seemingly arbitrary nature of the charge setting process, making it difficult for patients to act as true consumers in this era of ‘consumer-directed healthcare.’
