The $2 bag that becomes a $100 line item. Shop the pattern, not just the bag.
Your cash sticker$32
Typical commercial / insured$53
Medicare-like yardstick$17
Rack rate if you have no deal$92
Insured markup on this quote: $20 (64%) above cash. Quality score 70/100 at California Community Hospital (model). This episode is tagged modeled from anchors.
Full-service community hospital (model). The default local option.
Evidence on this page. Saline bag acquisition vs bill — see the evidence ledger. Hospitals are archetypes (academic / community / ASC), not named facilities. Coastal flagships: wage + bargaining power, not just ‘better care.’