Insurance Billed 3 X what self-pay price is....legal?

My insurance was just billed over $27,000 for the hospital portion of my WLS.  My aunt self-payed and her hospital portion of her bill was a little over $11,000.  (Both her surgeon's bill and mine were almost identical.)  We used the same surgeon, the same hospital and the same open RNY procedure. Is it legal for the hospital to WAY overcharge my insurance?  Is it legal for them to charge one cash pay price and a different, higher price if a person has insurance? If I end up having to pay 10% of this, it will end up being over $2700 which I cannot afford.  I had planned on around $1100 max due to what I already knew the procedure costed.

Yeah, It's legal for a provider to WAY overcharge for services.  If the hospital is contracted with your carrier they will only be paid what is "allowed" anyway, no matter what the hospital charged or "booked".   If you were responsible for a co-payment / co-insurance, you should've been given an estimate before your procedure.

I was not given an estimate before hand, not even a ball park within a few thousand - nothing. I thought if they charged a price for a certain procedure, but overcharged for the exact same procedure on an insurance bill that that was insurance fraud. 

Trickery, Yes. Fraud, No. Because ... your provider knows they will only be paid what is already agreed by way of a contract BUT it doesn't hurt to aim high, right? Have you received your EOB yet?

They just billed the insurance yesterday.  (I can view realtime claims on my insurance company's website which is the only way I even know it's been billed yet.) My insurance is allowing them the full amounts they are billing, so there will be no write-off. I just hope that since I am $70.07 away from my out of pocket maximum, that I don't have to pay any of it. 

WOW! Sounds like the hospital got a great deal!

I can't speak for all insurance companies but I use to work at one and once you reach your out of pocket maxium your plan should pay at 100%. Usually with bariatric surgery hospitals will bill a standard package for that service so they usually don't bill over their contracted rate. If the hospital you went to is contracted you should not be billed anymore than your share of the ALLOWED amount. Hope this helps. Good Luck!

I've called my insurance today after posting this and I will only be responsible for the $70.

Wow that's great! Good to hear