Great post on KevinMD today about hospitals, practices and other healthcare provider organizations giving discounts for cash payments.  Patients who have insurance need to conceal that fact to take advantage of these discounts, though.  Should they have to?  Seems to me that, with the payments not applying towards deductible amounts, everyone wins (doctor, patient, even the insurer). 

http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2012/06/hide-health-insurance-status-pay-cash.html