So, regarding the uniform fee schedule, what you mean is that any provider who accepts Medicare is required to have a uniform price list which is the same for all non-Medicare/Medicaid customers? As opposed to the nightmarish price variance given based on the clusterfuck of negotiated prices between consolidated provider organizations and insurance companies?

I like that idea. It would have never, ever made it past the medical provider lobby.

Did you see the Time magazine article "The Bitter Pill"? Fascinating, and the article actually provoked the CMS agency in the Federal Gov't to release their data on the "chargemaster" prices at various hospitals vs. the negotiated Medicare/Medicaid price (which is itself negotiated to ensure it covers a hospitals labor/materials for any given procedure).