Definitely second the recommendation about the cash price. Don't ask up front, however, because they'll tell you the price is the price and it isn't negotiable. This is for legal reasons. If after you get the bill, however, you call them and say, "I can't pay this much, but I'll give you 20% to settle," you might just find a lot of places will take the money gladly. Any non-profit hospital worth its salt doesn't want you to suffer, and they aren't in the business of burdening people. And as a pragmatic consideration, they know they aren't getting 20% (or whatever, start low and negotiate) form a collection agency whom they could sell the debt to. The bureaucracy that is our health care system would make the Soviets blush. You each have to pretend the sky is yellow and the sun is blue, and use that as your starting point.