That's not a complete explanation, as it would likewise prove that every business errs as much as possible in their favor. It wouldn't explain what's different about hospitals and health insurance that makes them so brutal about it.
True. My assumption is that there's a complete lack of the usual consumer protections because (a) no ability to shop around and (b) no political will to fix it because most bills go to insurance companies who (i) are expert at questioning medical bills and (ii) have a negotiated relationship with providers so they don't pay sticker price anyway.
Right -- those factors would be more relevant, specific things to point to than "providers who err in their favor get more money than those who don't".
