I'm trying to settle with the hospital at 50 to 60 percent of my bill. My position is that if I had health insurance when I had the attack, my insurer would not be paying 100 percent of the hospital charges, it would be paying at a lower, negotiated rate. No, it is not correct.
Hospitals accept insurance-negotiated payments all the time.
It's called collective bargaining and that's what attorneys and contracts are for. Technically, you are liable for the full amount. However, most hospitals will set up payment plans for self-pay customers and would rather see some payment than none at all. Then be sure you follow through and make your payments on time. Once large hospital bills are handed over to collection agencies, things can get nasty.