Medical bill review

The bill mentioned earlier arrived and with it a detailing that is truly mind boggling.  The $40,500 bill is  for a clinic operation for a broken ankle. $26,500 of the bill covered three hours for the use of the operating room. The remainder of the bill was for incidentals. The Orthopedic surgeon's fee was $5000 and apart from the clinic's bill.  Now let's see, a super way over the top luxury hotel suite might be $5000 for twenty four hours.  So, it is five times that for a three hour soiree at a clinic in Stamford Connecticut? Is it a surprise that the country is at risk of being swallowed whole by medical expenses?
I am not naive enough to believe that the bill's pricing is real.  Insurance companies are sure to lower it drastically, but can it it be drastic enough?  $5000 for the room strikes me as being exorbitant so five times that is a tough height from which to negotiate down to reasonable.