I wish more people were asking “why does the hospital charge such absurdly high fees?” instead of “why is Blue Cross trying to not pay those absurdly high fees?”
Consider their business model. A lot of highly educated employees, a lot of very expensive equipment and furnishings, a high risk of customers dying in their care, and injury lawyers hovering around the exits telling sick and injured people that if they aren’t 100% cured they have a lucrative claim.