How StoptheGouging Started

In 2025, a frustrated patient received a hospital bill for routine lab work that cost $1,240. When she called Medicare to ask what they pay for the same tests, the answer was $89.

That's a 1,394% markup.

The Problem

Medical billing is broken. Hospitals and providers charge whatever they want, and most patients have no way to know what the real price should be. Even though Medicare publishes what it pays for every procedure, most people never see those numbers.

The result? Average markups of 300-400% above Medicare rates. And it gets worse when you compare hospital facilities to doctor's offices for the same procedure—hospitals charge up to 67% more.

Insurance companies know the real numbers. Hospitals know the real numbers. Medicare publishes them. But patients don't get to see them.

Why This Matters

Even insured patients face massive out-of-pocket costs. Deductibles are climbing. More procedures fall outside insurance coverage. And without knowing what Medicare actually pays, you can't negotiate or make informed decisions about where to get care.

That's not fair. It's not transparent. And it needs to change.

Our Mission

StoptheGouging puts the real numbers in your hands. Upload your bill or search for any medical service to see what Medicare pays. Then you'll know:

• What the service actually costs (Medicare rate)
• How much you were overcharged
• Whether a hospital or office setting is cheaper
• What other providers charge nearby

Armed with real numbers, you can negotiate with providers, choose cheaper alternatives, and make informed healthcare decisions. That's how you stop overpaying.

Built for Transparency

StoptheGouging uses official Medicare data and hospital billing records to show you what procedures really cost. We're not guessing. We're not selling data. We're just making public information actually accessible.

What's Next?

We started with lab tests because the markups are outrageous and the data is public. But we're expanding to cover all medical services—office visits, imaging, surgery, physical therapy, mental health, and more.

The goal: make it impossible for providers to hide behind inflated prices. When patients can see what Medicare pays, everything changes.

Join Us

If you're tired of mysterious medical bills, start using StoptheGouging today. Upload a bill or search for a service. See the real prices. Share your results with your doctor or insurance company. Use real numbers to negotiate.

Together, we can stop the gouging.