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And repeating the things you are saying clouds the picture of health care costs. Doctors cannot charge anything they want. The doctor who charges $100 gets paid exactly the same as the doctor who charges $300 for the same service because insurance companies set the amount the physician gets paid, not the rate the physician charges. You said, "...most insurance companies research the average fee charge[sic] in an area for that service and may only pay for the average fee charged..." You are partially right - ALL insurance companies know EXACTLY what the other physicians in the area get paid because they determine what they get paid! And, it is ALWAYS regulated by the prices that the government sets, because all contracts are based on Medicare reimbursement. I now have a solo practice, but I was employed by a large group before. The CEO who only had an MBA made 3 times what the doctors made. The CEO of the hospital where I see my patients makes 10 times what I make, and he only has an MBA. If I didn't like practicing medicine and taking care of my patients, I would go back to school and make a LOT more money!