I'm not an advocate of government paid health care, but hospitals and medical providers should see that this train is coming and if they don't become more transparent it's going to be forced upon them.
I don't have a problem with ER care being more expensive -- that isn't necessarily unreasonable when you are getting care in an expensive facility open 24x7, fitted out with equipment to handle any possible medical emergency, and staffed with highly educated people who make a lot of money. But it is unfair to have no idea what costs you are facing and whether any of those costs are out of network on your insurance.
I don't have a problem with ER care being more expensive -- that isn't necessarily unreasonable when you are getting care in an expensive facility open 24x7, fitted out with equipment to handle any possible medical emergency, and staffed with highly educated people who make a lot of money. But it is unfair to have no idea what costs you are facing and whether any of those costs are out of network on your insurance.